The Atlantic 10’s top team will be on the road when the George Washington Colonials (13-3) head to William D. Mullins Center to face off against the Massachusetts Minutemen (8-7). Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 12.
The Minutemen fell to St. Bonaventure 88-77 on Saturday. Donte Clark finished with 25 points to lead the game. The Colonials, meanwhile, are coming off a 91-64 win over Duquesne on Saturday. Kevin Larsen had a big game and claimed his fifth double-double of the season, accumulating 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Larsen has been on fire over the last five games for the Colonials, averaging 15.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals.
Massachusetts, a five-point underdog, will look to capitalize at home against George Washington. The matchup currently has a 150-point Over/Under (O/U). The Minutemen have gone 8-7 Straight Up (SU) and 3-6 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 1-5 ATS over their last 10 games.
Across the court, George Washington has a SU record of 13-3 and an ATS record of 6-6-1. The Colonials get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, ranking 30th in the nation with 289 made (18.0 per game). The George Washington defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .304 shooting from three-point range. Taking care of the basketball is something the Colonials do very well, averaging just 11.3 turnovers per game.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between Massachusetts and George Washington. Their previous game was a Colonials victory, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. They are also even ATS in their most recent games (5-5). George Washington had the advantage in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once over the last five matchups. Massachusetts has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – GW, ATS Winner – GW, O/U – Over
Notes
Massachusetts is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games.
Massachusetts is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Massachusetts’s last 6 games when playing George Washington.
The Massachusetts Minutemen average 77.9 points per game, ranking 89th in the nation. The George Washington Colonials rank 74th in points allowed with 66.6.
In its last game, George Washington won by a margin of 27 points. Massachusetts is 2-3 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. George Washington has a 3-1 record in blowouts.
Massachusetts averages 73.0 possessions per game, scoring 1.068 points on each possession. While George Washington averages fewer possessions per game with 67.0, they score more points per possession with 1.133.
The Massachusetts Minutemen average an effective field goal percentage of 50.7% this season. The George Washington Colonials have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have an eFG% of 50.7% or greater.
On average, Massachusetts attempts 21.0 three pointers and George Washington attempts 18.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Massachusetts Minutemen are 5-4 while the George Washington Colonials have a winning 5-2 record.
Massachusetts ranks 167th in offensive rebounds, while George Washington ranks 86th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Massachusetts forces a turnover rate of 17.6%. When George Washington turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 5-3 record.
