It will be a battle between A10 opponents when the George Mason Patriots (7-9, 1-2 A10) welcome the Saint Joseph’s Hawks (7-7, 2-1 A10) to EagleBank Arena. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 10, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 146 points with Saint Joseph’s opening as a 5-point favorite.
Saint Joseph’s Hawks vs. George Mason Patriots Free Prediction
The Hawks will be looking for a similar result after topping the St. Bonaventure Bonnies in their last outing, 85-78. One of Saint Joseph’s’ largest strengths was getting to the free throw line. They made 32 trips to the line, nine more than St. Bonaventure. Shavar Newkirk fueled Saint Joseph’s with 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
In the Patriots’ last game, they were blown out by the Davidson Wildcats, 86-59. Davidson’s turnover percentage was their biggest strength over George Mason. The Wildcats had a rate of 9.6 (better than their season average of 12.9), while the Patriots posted a mark of 19.8 (above the 15.6 mark opponents have averaged against Davidson this season). With 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting, Otis Livingston II led George Mason in scoring.
It could be a difficult game for George Mason on the offensive glass. The Patriots currently rank 246th in offensive rebounding percentage (27.4 percent), while Saint Joseph’s ranks 59th in defensive rebounding percentage (74.6 percent). Furthermore, the Hawks rank first in turnover percentage (13.5 percent), while the Patriots rank 305th in opponents’ turnover percentage (16.8 percent).
Saint Joseph’s heads into the game with records of 7-7 straight up (SU) and 6-6 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has a tendency to set the total low when the Hawks are involved, as 75.0 percent of their games have ended over the total.
Meanwhile, George Mason owns records of 7-9 SU and 4-8 ATS. Contrary to Saint Joseph’s, Patriots games have typically finished under the total (58.3 percent).
Newkirk has averaged 17.0 points, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals over the last five games for Saint Joseph’s.
After the Patriots won the sole game against the Hawks last season, 75-67, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. George Mason’s 0.308 free throw rate was their largest strength over Saint Joseph’s, who had a rate of 0.125.
Saint Joseph’s Hawks at George Mason Patriots Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Saint Joseph’s, ATS Winner – Saint Joseph’s, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Saint Joseph’s is 3-5 ATS with 7 overs and 1 under.
At home, George Mason is 0-5 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Saint Joseph’s ranks 43rd in three pointers attempted per game (25.9) while George Mason ranks 175th in three pointers allowed per game (23.4).
The Patriots rank 138th in rebounds allowed per game (35.4) while the Hawks rank 245th (40.5).
Saint Joseph’s ranks 12th in steals allowed per game (4.6) while George Mason ranks 93rd (6.3).
The Patriots rank 98th in blocks per game (3.4) while the Hawks rank 103rd in blocks allowed per game (3.9).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Saint Joseph’s is 3-1 ATS with 4 overs.
George Mason is 1-3 ATS with 2 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Hawks have outscored opponents by an average of 3.2 points in their last five games. On the season, Saint Joseph’s has been defeated by an average of 1.0 point.
During their last five games, the Patriots have scored an average of 68.6 points per game (0.3 above their season average) and allowed an average of 78.4 points per game (4.5 above their season average).
