The VCU Rams take on the Saint Louis Billikens in St. Louis, MO. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
VCU is favored by 8.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -470. The total is set at 165.5 points.
Here’s my VCU vs. Saint Louis prediction and college basketball picks for February 20, 2026.
VCU vs Saint Louis Prediction
My Pick: VCU +8.5
My VCU vs Saint Louis best bet is on the Rams 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.
VCU vs. Saint Louis Odds
| VCU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 165.5 -110 / -110 | +360 |
| Saint Louis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 165.5 -110 / -110 | -470 |
- VCU vs Saint Louis spread: VCU -8.5
- VCU vs Saint Louis over/under: 165.5 points
- VCU vs Saint Louis moneyline: VCU +360, Saint Louis -470
VCU vs Saint Louis College Basketball Betting Preview
VCU Basketball
VCU enters Friday night’s matchup having won 10 consecutive games while having a 21-6 overall record. The Rams are 12-2 in conference play thus far, sitting second in the Atlantic 10 standings behind Saint Louis.
This will be the second meeting between these two teams this season after VCU dropped the first matchup on its home floor just a few weeks ago.
Terrence Hill Jr. leads the Rams in scoring this season, posting nearly 15 points per game. In his second season at VCU, Hill is surprisingly coming off the bench due to the Rams' elite depth at the guard position.
Alongside Hill, Brandon Jennings and Jadrian Tracey round out a stacked backcourt, with both guards also posting double-figure scoring efforts per contest.
In the frontcourt, Lazar Djokovic has been spectacular this seaso, tallying an impressive 14 points per game. The former Charleston forward has been a pleasant surprise for Phil Martelli Jr.'s bunch, contributing in a big way on both ends of the floor.
Behind the play of Djokovic and the Rams’ stellar guard play, VCU is averaging over 85 points per game this season, and ranks inside the top 30 in the country in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
While the Rams have undoubtedly excelled offensively this season, VCU needs to improve defensively if it wants to make a run at an NCAA Tournament bid in Martelli’s first season.
Per Haslametrics, VCU ranks outside the top 70 in the country in defensive efficiency, and surely needs to improve on that end of the floor with March just a few weeks away.
Saint Louis Basketball
At 24-2, the 19th-ranked Billikens have been one of the biggest surprises in college hoops this season.
Josh Schertz is doing a wonderful job in his second season at the helm, taking over for Travis Ford prior to the start of the 2024-25 season. In the Ford era, Saint Louis made just one NCAA Tournament over his eight seasons.
Schertz has already made a profound impact on this Billikens program in year two, with his Saint Louis bunch well on its way to making the Big Dance for the first time since 2018.
The Billikens were in the midst of an 18-game win streak prior to Tuesday’s road defeat to Rhode Island.
Leading the charge for an extremely well-balanced Billikens offense is former Indiana State center Robbie Avila. He's been very efficient on both ends of the floor, scoring 13 points per game, along with four rebounds and four assists.
While his offensive production has taken a slight step back, Avilia has converted on over 51% of his field goal attempts in 2025-26, and is shooting 43% from beyond the arc.
Avila has taken less of a primary scoring role this season, with each player in the Billikens' starting five posting double-figure scoring efforts.
Saint Louis also has a very deep bench, with the next three players in the rotation all averaging over nine points per game.
The Billikens' offense operates under the play of its sophomore point guard, Trey Green. Green is scoring 12 points per game this season and runs point for an offense that ranks inside the top 30 in the country in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
VCU vs. Saint Louis Betting Analysis
There's far more at stake for VCU in this matchup, even though Saint Louis is coming off a loss.
Aside from the revenge narrative, the Rams have six losses on the season, and they likely need to win out and make the Atlantic 10 Tournament final to get an at-large bid.
Saint Louis’ loss of momentum could surely play a factor. In my opinion, the Billikens are the better team and have a far higher ceiling long term.
But the Rams may just be catching the Billikens at the perfect time, even on their home floor.
I believe this matchup has far greater NCAA Tournament implications for VCU, which makes me inclined to take a shot on it in the wake of Saint Louis’ recent defeat.
My Pick: VCU +8.5
