Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between VCU and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have jumped out to a quick 36-26 lead against Saint Louis.
If VCU keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 11-7 in no time. On the other hand, Saint Louis will have to make due with an 8-10 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who's Playing
Saint Louis Billikens @ VCU Rams
Current Records: Saint Louis 8-9, VCU 10-7
How To Watch
- When: Friday, January 19, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Stuart Siegel Center -- Richmond, Virginia
- TV: ESPN2
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $15.00
What to Know
Saint Louis is 2-8 against VCU since February of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. Both teams will face off in an Atlantic 10 battle at 7:00 p.m. ET at Stuart Siegel Center. Saint Louis is hoping to put an end to a nine-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Last Tuesday, the Billikens came up short against the Flyers and fell 70-65.
Meanwhile, the Rams beat the Explorers 71-65 on Saturday. The win made it back-to-back wins for VCU.
VCU can attribute much of their success to Sean Bairstow, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 12 assists. That's the first time this season that Bairstow posted ten or more assists. Max Shulga was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with nine rebounds.
The Billikens have not been sharp recently, as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-9 record this season. As for the Rams, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 10-7 record this season.
Saint Louis is hoping to beat the odds on Friday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. Anyone thinking of taking them against the spread should keep this in mind: the team hasn't covered the last three times they've played VCU.
While only VCU took care of their fans the last time they played, both teams pleased bettors by covering the spread. Going forward, VCU is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by eight points. They might be worth a quick bet since they've covered the spread the last three times they've played Saint Louis.
Odds
VCU is a big 8-point favorite against Saint Louis, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Rams as a 8.5-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 147 points.
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Series History
VCU has won 8 out of their last 10 games against Saint Louis.
- Mar 11, 2023 - VCU 90 vs. Saint Louis 78
- Feb 28, 2023 - VCU 79 vs. Saint Louis 67
- Feb 03, 2023 - VCU 73 vs. Saint Louis 65
- Mar 05, 2022 - Saint Louis 69 vs. VCU 65
- Feb 23, 2021 - VCU 67 vs. Saint Louis 65
- Feb 21, 2020 - Saint Louis 80 vs. VCU 62
- Feb 26, 2019 - VCU 71 vs. Saint Louis 65
- Jan 23, 2018 - VCU 75 vs. Saint Louis 74
- Feb 22, 2017 - VCU 64 vs. Saint Louis 50
- Feb 13, 2016 - VCU 85 vs. Saint Louis 52