The Old Dominion Monarchs will travel to Stuart Siegel Center to play the VCU Rams. The game gets underway at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday, Nov. 28.
The Rams won big over American 72-44 on Wednesday. Korey Billbury played well, finishing with 12 points, eight rebounds, and two steals for the Rams. The Monarchs, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their close 66-64 loss to Saint Joseph’s on Sunday. Nik Biberaj played well for Old Dominion, posting eight points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks.
VCU is an eight-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 129 points. While the Rams are 3-2 Straight Up (SU) so far, they’ve managed an Against The Spread (ATS) record of 2-0 so far. VCU is known to control the offensive glass, where it racks up an impressive 14.6 offensive rebounds per game.
As for their opponent, the Monarchs have records of 1-3 ATS and 3-2 SU. The Monarchs are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 56.6 points allowed per game. Old Dominion’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .364 from the field.
These two will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their most recent meeting a season ago, Old Dominion came out on top, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. The teams also have an even 5-5 record ATS in the most recent meetings. VCU held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five games, while Old Dominion wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – VCU, ATS Winner – ODU, O/U – Under
Notes
Virginia Commonwealth is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games.
Virginia Commonwealth is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games at home.
Virginia Commonwealth is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Old Dominion.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Virginia Commonwealth’s last 6 games when playing at home against Old Dominion.
Virginia Commonwealth is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Old Dominion.
Old Dominion scores an average of just 65.2 points per game (ranked 312th). VCU ranks 66th in points allowed, giving up 64.2 points per game.
Old Dominion lost its last game by a two-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, VCU is 0-1. Old Dominion is also 0-1 in close games this season.
The VCU Rams have a defensive rating of 93.4 (ranked 69th), while the Old Dominion Monarchs have an offensive rating of 103.2 (ranked 210th).
The Old Dominion Monarchs average a field goal percentage of 40.4% this season. The VCU Rams have split their games this season (2-2) when opponents have a FG% of 40.4% or greater.
The VCU Rams and the Old Dominion Monarchs both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. VCU is 198th and 188th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Old Dominion ranks 311th and 281st in these categories.
VCU ranks 97th in assists, registering 15.4 per game. Old Dominion performs worse at 275th with 11.6 assists per game.
Old Dominion, the 58th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.0 per game. VCU does worse, ranked 154th with 3.6.
The Old Dominion Monarchs rank 85th in offensive rebounds. The VCU Rams rank 309th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 19.9% when playing Old Dominion this season. VCU is undefeated this season (1-0) when its TO% is 19.9% or higher.
