The George Washington Colonials (10-15, 3-9 A10) will try to put an end to their 10-game road losing streak in a matchup against the Massachusetts Minutemen (11-14, 4-8 A10) at William D. Mullins Center. The game is scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 14, 2018.
Massachusetts opened as a 5.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 136.5 points.
George Washington Colonials vs. Massachusetts Minutemen Free Prediction
The Colonials are trying to rebound after their 72-65 loss to the George Mason Patriots in their last outing. Getting to the free throw line was one of George Mason’s largest advantages. They made 32 trips to the line, while George Washington went 18 times. Yuta Watanabe was the top scorer from either team with 19 points on 7-for-17 shooting.
In the Minutemen’s last matchup, they lost to the Saint Joseph’s Hawks, 85-73. Saint Joseph’s’ free throw rate was their biggest strength over Massachusetts. The Hawks had a rate of 0.231 (above their season average of 0.222), while the Minutemen posted a mark of 0.048 (below their season average of 0.183). Carl Pierre had a solid performance for Massachusetts, leading the team in scoring with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
Half-court execution will be critical when two of the nation’s slowest-paced teams clash. Massachusetts currently ranks 257th in possessions per game (68.0) and George Washington is 330th (65.5).
George Washington holds records of 10-15 straight up (SU) and 7-14 against the spread (ATS). Games involving the Colonials have gone over the total 52.4 percent of the time.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts is 11-14 SU and 11-11 ATS. Much like George Washington, a little over half of Minutemen games have finished over the O/U total.
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Watanabe (19.2 points and 1.8 blocks) has been great for the Colonials while Pierre (14.4 points) has contributed greatly to the Minutemen.
After the Colonials won the lone contest against the Minutemen last season, 83-67, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Colonials had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (30.0 vs. 20.0) and had a better free throw rate (0.241 vs. 0.177).
George Washington Colonials vs. Massachusetts Minutemen ATS Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Massachusetts, ATS Winner – George Washington, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, George Washington is 2-9 ATS with 7 unders and 4 overs.
At home, Massachusetts is 7-4 ATS with 7 overs and 4 unders.
Massachusetts ranks 138th in three pointers attempted per game (22.2) while George Washington ranks 274th (17.9).
The Colonials rank 117th in assists allowed per game (13.2) while the Minutemen rank 243rd (15.9).
George Washington ranks 24th in blocks per game (5.0) while Massachusetts ranks 105th (3.4).
The Colonials rank 163rd in steals per game (5.7) while the Minutemen rank 226th (4.9).
Massachusetts ranks 236th in rebounds per game (33.6) while George Washington ranks 261st (32.8).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, George Washington is 1-4 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Massachusetts is 2-3 ATS with 5 overs over their last five games.
The Colonials’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 9.0, up from 6.0 for the season.
During their last five games, the Minutemen have scored an average of 76.6 points per game (5.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 84.2 points per game (11.1 above their season average).
