2024 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Preview, Odds, Picks & Bracket

The Atlantic 10 tournament begins on Tuesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and it should have plenty of excitement.

The Dayton Flyers were expected to be the top seed before the season began, but the Richmond Spiders and Loyola Chicago Ramblers put together spectacular two-month runs to grab the top two seeds.

Richmond, Loyola Chicago, Dayton and UMass are the top four seeds in the tournament and won’t take the court until Thursday’s quarterfinals.

VCU, Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, George Mason and Saint Joseph’s start their tournament play in Wednesday’s second round.

The six teams that need a miracle run of five wins in five days are La Salle, Rhode Island, Fordham, Davidson, Saint Louis and George Washington.

Atlantic 10 Tournament Odds

Atlantic 10 Tournament Bracket

Atlantic 10 Contenders

Richmond owned a less than impressive 8-5 record in non-conference play, but it stepped it up once A-10 action started. The Spiders finished 15-3 in the league and finished tied with Loyola Chicago atop the standings. However, Richmond won the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Chris Mooney’s team battles George Mason or Saint Joseph’s in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The Spiders were blown out by George Mason in the season finale, 64-46, marking their lowest point total of the season.

Richmond beat Saint Joe’s, 73-66, in the second-to-last conference game, so the Spiders should have some recent familiarity with these two opponents.

The Spiders own the second-lowest turnover percentage in the nation, while sitting in the top four of the Atlantic 10 in both 2-point and 3-point defensive shooting percentage.

Two of the last three Atlantic 10 conference tournament champions were top seeds (VCU in 2023, St. Bonaventure in 2021). The only team that wasn’t a No. 1 seed during this stretch was Richmond in 2022 as a six seed.

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In its first season as a member of the Atlantic 10, Loyola Chicago didn’t look like it belonged after finishing 4-14 in the league.

That performance is a memory in the Windy City, as the Ramblers put together one of the most amazing turnarounds in league history by grabbing a piece of the A-10 regular season title with Richmond at 15-3.

The main reason for Loyola Chicago’s success has been its defense, as the Ramblers rank first in A-10 play in Defensive Efficiency and 2-point percentage.

The Ramblers posted a solid 13-5 ATS record in league play, including a 7-1 ATS mark in their last eight games in the favorite role.

Loyola Chicago will draw seventh-seeded St. Bonaventure, 10th-seeded La Salle or 15th-seeded George Washington in the quarterfinals. The Ramblers beat the two lower seeds already, but lost at St. Bonaventure, 79-64, which marked their second-highest margin of defeat this season.

Although Dayton is the third seed in this tournament, it's the favorite to grab the automatic bid at +140 odds, according to BetMGM.

Anthony Grant’s team is currently in the top 30 of KenPom, and is the most efficient offensive team in Atlantic 10 play.

Also, the Flyers rank first in league action in 2-point and 3-point shooting, while ranking second in defensive 3-point percentage.

Dayton wasn’t a great team against the number in A-10 play, posting a 9-9 record ATS, including a 2-4 ATS mark in its last six road games.

The Flyers draw Duquesne, Rhode Island or Saint Louis in the quarterfinals. Dayton produced a perfect 5-0 record against those teams, including a pair of double-digit victories over Duquesne, which will likely be the Flyers' opponent on Thursday.

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The last time UMass played in the Atlantic 10 tournament in 2023, the Minutemen were thoroughly embarrassed by Richmond in a 71-38 beatdown in the opening round.

UMass has made plenty of strides from last season’s 6-12 A-10 record in Frank Martin’s debut campaign as head coach. The Minutemen finished with a 11-7 A-10 record this season. The Minutemen suffered three losses by one point each, and beat VCU and Richmond in convincing fashion.

The outside game isn’t the strong suit for UMass, which ranked 15th in A-10 play in 3-point shooting (30.1%). However, the Minutemen were tops in the conference in offensive rebounding percentage and ranked second in 2-point percentage (52.1%).

UMass owns the third-highest odds to win the A-10 tournament at 6/1, and the Minutemen face VCU, La Salle or George Washington in the quarterfinals. They won four of five games against those opponents, highlighted by a 22-point home rout of VCU.

Early-Round Atlantic 10 Tournament Notes

Fordham slipped from a fourth seed in the 2023 A-10 tournament all the way to 12th in 2024. The Rams face Davidson in the opening round, a team that beat Fordham by double digits in two meetings. However, the Wildcats are riding a five-game losing streak heading into Tuesday.

La Salle defeated George Washington twice this season, including an 80-70 road victory as 5.5-point underdogs. Both games finished under totals of 153 and 153.5, so we’ll see where Tuesday’s game is listed, as the Explorers are on a 12-4 under run in the last 16 games.

Rhode Island started A-10 play with a surprising 3-0 mark, but it slumped to a 3-12 mark over the last 15 games. The Rams won their season finale at Fordham, and URI takes on a Saint Louis squad that closed on a solid note, winning three of its last five games.

In their lone meeting, the Billikens outlasted the Rams, 94-91, as both teams knocked 11 3-pointers apiece.

Atlantic 10 Future Plays

It would be no surprise if Dayton wins this tournament, considering the numbers it's put together this season.

Also, the Flyers haven't won the A-10 tournament since 2003, so there's a lot on the line from that respect.

Although Richmond is the top seed, it's listed at 5/1 odds to win the conference tournament. The Spiders wouldn’t have to face Dayton until the championship, and they would look to avenge a blowout loss to UMass if they hook up in the semifinals.

One team to definitely keep an eye on is defending champion VCU, which sits at 10/1 odds. The Rams have to play an extra game, though, since they're outside the top four.