The Saint Louis Billikens take on the Davidson Wildcats in Davidson, NC. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Saint Louis is favored by 9.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -575. The total is set at 147 points.
Here’s my Saint Louis vs. Davidson predictions and college basketball picks for February 3, 2026.
Saint Louis vs Davidson Prediction
My Pick: Saint Louis -9.5
My Saint Louis vs Davidson best bet is on the Billikens to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Saint Louis vs. Davidson Odds
| Saint Louis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -110 | 147 -110 / -110 | -575 |
| Davidson Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -110 | 147 -110 / -110 | +425 |
- Saint Louis vs Davidson spread: Saint Louis -9.5
- Saint Louis vs Davidson over/under: 147 points
- Saint Louis vs Davidson moneyline: Saint Louis -575, Davidson +425
Saint Louis vs Davidson College Basketball Betting Preview
Saint Louis Basketball
Saint Louis is one of if not the best non-power conference teams in the country. The Billikens are 21-1, with their one loss coming by one point to Stanford.
Josh Schertz is known for his offensive expertise, but the defense is the better of the two units for the Billikens. They rank 20th in defensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Saint Louis limits opponents to 43% shooting on 2-pointers and 27% from 3-point range, both of which are top-five marks nationally. Plus, opponents grab offensive rebounds just 26% of the time.
Now, Saint Louis is a bit smaller in the starting lineup. So, how does Saint Louis keep teams off the glass? It has six players who average 4-5 rebounds. Amari McCottry, who starts as a small-ball four, is terrific on the glass, as is 6-foot-3 wing Dion Brown.
The Billikens run a nine-man rotation, and there's zero dead weight. Each of the rotation members pitches in 6+ points per game, led by skilled center Robbie Avila, who leads the team with 12.8 points.
Sniper guard Trey Green is the ideal guard in Schertz's system. He's the one guy who can break down opponents off the dribble to keep the defense honest.
Sophomore wing Ishan Sharma has been hot of late, too. He had 18 against Dayton and 29 against George Washinton, while hitting 6+ 3s in both games.
Davidson Basketball
Davidson is another middling team in the A-10, sitting at 5-4 in league play. The Wildcats have struggled to gain momentum in the Matt McKillop era, but this will be their Super Bowl. We'll see if they're good enough to take advantage of the stakes in this matchup.
On the offensive end, Davidson looks a bit rough, as it ranks 134th in offensive efficiency, per KenPom. The Wildcats have no chance of competing if they can't hit shots from deep.
Over 43% of Davidson's shots are 3-point attempts, and it connects on 37% of them. Roberts Blums leads the team with 11.8 points per game and shoots 43% from deep.
Fellow starting guards, Sam Brown and Parker Friedrichsen, determine most of Davidson's shooting upside. Brown is drilling 32% from deep, but he plays a lot. Friedrichsen is the second most reliable perimeter option for the Wildcats, hitting 39% from deep.
Outside of shooting, there's nothing here. Davidson reaches the foul line just 31% of the time, per Bart Torvik, and hits 51% from inside the arc.
Defense is the better of the two units for Davidson, as it ranks 92nd in KenPom's defensive efficiency.
In January, the Wildcats jumped to 66th in defensive efficiency, per Bart Torvik, but their defense seems bound to regress. Most times, if you allow teams to shoot 55%+ from inside the arc but well below 30% from deep for a month, that'll eventually shift. Davidson's lack of rim resistance could haunt it in this matchup.
Davidson is more of a skill-based team, focusing on passing, shooting and cutting.
The big man situation is a total disaster for the Wildcats. They have three players who rotate minutes at the five. Seven-footer Ian Platteeuw starts, but he's very raw and isn't ready for big minutes. Sean Logan is probably the best of the bunch as he swats 2.3 shots per game.
Saint Louis vs. Davidson Betting Analysis
I'm laying the number with Saint Louis up to -9.5 here. The Billikens' spurtability allows them to cover these bigger numbers against inferior opponents.
Just from a matchup standpoint, Davidson needs a lot to go its way to compete here. It has to shoot well from deep and keep the game to a slow tempo.
The Wildcats are 343rd in adjusted tempo, and Saint Louis is 23rd, so if the pace is quicker, the Wildcats will get blown out.
My Pick: Saint Louis -9.5
