It will be a battle between Atlantic 10 opponents when the George Mason Patriots (7-13) welcome the George Washington Colonials (15-5) to Patriot Center. The game gets underway at 12:00 pm ET on Sunday, Jan. 31 and will air on NBS.
The Patriots lost to Duquesne 86-75 the last time they played. Jaire Grayer finished with 17 points to lead the team. The Colonials, meanwhile, are coming off a 98-90 loss to Richmond in their last outing. Kevin Larsen accumulated 17 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
Over the last five games, Marquise Moore has really been playing well for the Patriots. During that stretch, he has averaged 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. On the other side, the Colonials have their own duo that have been on a tear in that span. Larsen has averaged 16.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks, while Tyler Cavanaugh has put up 20.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.4 three-pointers.
Half-court execution will be at a premium as George Mason ranks 305th in the nation in possessions per game (66.5 possessions per game), while George Washington is 265th (67.5).
George Mason, an eight-point underdog, will look to capitalize at home against George Washington. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 139 points. The Patriots enter the game with records of 7-13 Straight Up (SU) and 7-10 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 2-6 ATS.
Across the court, the Colonials head into the game with records of 7-9-1 ATS and 15-5 SU. Most recently, George Washington is a meager 3-7 ATS over the last 10 games. George Washington is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, hitting 18.0 shots from the line per game. The Colonials are one of the top defensive teams on the road, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 68.5 points allowed per away game.
This is the first meeting of the season for George Mason and George Washington. The last time they played, George Washington came out on top, moving its SU record against George Mason to 5-1 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. The teams have an even record ATS, 3-3. Neither team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers over the course of their latest five contests.
Predictions: SU Winner – GW, ATS Winner – GW, O/U – Over
Notes
George Mason is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of George Mason’s last 6 games.
George Mason is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of George Mason’s last 6 games when playing George Washington.
George Mason scores just 66.7 points per home game (ranked 324th). George Washington ranks 50th in points allowed on the road, giving up 68.5 points.
George Washington beats George Mason in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Colonials average 67.5 possessions and 1.124 points per possession, while the Patriots average 66.5 possessions with .983 points per possession.
George Mason has an average effective field goal percentage of 46.1%. George Washington is an even 5-5 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the George Mason Patriots attempt 18.0 three point field goals per game and the George Washington Colonials attempt 18.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, George Mason has a 4-5 record and George Washington has a 5-4 record.
George Mason, the 20th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 41.5 rebounds per game. George Washington ranks 90th with 38.4.
George Washington ranks 112th in offensive rebounds, while George Mason ranks at 17th in defensive rebounds.
On average, George Mason forces a turnover rate of 11.2%. When George Washington turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a superb 13-4 record.
