VCU vs. Rhode Island Odds

VCU travels north to face off against Rhode Island in what will be the Atlantic 10 clash of the Rams.

This game is anticipated to be fast-paced with a lot of transition opportunities for both teams. The VCU Rams run a full-court press, trying to rattle their opponents with non-stop pressure. They play with the fastest tempo in the Atlantic 10 and try to dictate the pace of the game.

Rhode Island has been successful adjusting to that VCU style, winning nine of these teams' last 10 matchups dating back to 2017. 

In the first matchup on Jan. 9, Rhode Island ran away with an 83-68 road victory. That matchup had an over/under of 139.5, which hit with nearly four minutes remaining.

The rematch should follow that same game flow. 

Potential Mismatches

VCU enters with the 13th-ranked defense in the nation in adjusted efficiency and has forced turnovers on 25.6% of opposing possessions through 16 games, according to KenPom. They lead the nation in steals this year, averaging a steal on one of every six defensive possessions.

URI has been one of the most careless teams with the basketball this year, turning it over on 21.1% of its offensive possessions. That ranks 268th in the country. One of the interesting storylines from the first game was how URI was able to turn the tables in that department, winning the turnover battle, 21-12.

VCU’s aggressive play style often puts players in tough positions that sees them forced to foul. VCU averages 19.6 fouls per game, which is a recipe for a disaster against a Rhode Island team that is the 14th team in the nation at creating fouls. URI scores 22.1% of its points per game from the charity stripe and should be able to get there frequently against VCU.

What We Learned in the first Matchup

Rhode Island was able to handle VCU’s full-court press without much of an issue in these teams' first matchup through the strong guard play of senior guards Fatts Russell and Jeremy Sheppard.

The duo combined for 43 of the Rams' 82 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Rhode Island clearly has no problem in a run-and-gun game.

There were a total of 108 field-goal attempts in this game, including 37 of them from behind the arc. In addition, there were a combined 49 fouls called in the game, which led to a staggering 54 attempts from the charity stripe. Russell, who leads the A-10 in free throw attempts, made 13-of-14. 

VCU shot just 38.9% from the field in this game and made just 7-of-23 3-point shots. The bright spot offensively in the last outing was Nah’Shon Hyland, who scored 24 of VCU’s 68 points. Only one other player scored double-digit points for VCU — KeShawn Curry came off the bench and contributed 11. 

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Betting Analysis & Pick

This Atlantic 10 matchup should have a similar pace with two teams who attack the rim, get out in transition and get to the free-throw line.

The strong guard play of URI suppresses the full-court pressure of VCU and exposes them through vulnerable positions. We should see a similar number of shots as we did in the first matchup for what will be a fast-paced back-and-forth game. 

The total in this game opened three points lower than the first time these two schools faced off, which is a mistake.

Pick: Over 136.5 (up to 139).