Can Hawks take flight against Rams’ attack?
In a rematch of the 2014 Atlantic-10 tournament final, VCU and Saint Joseph’s square off again at 12:30 p.m ET.
Online sports book BetDSI.com, however, doesn’t like the Hawks to celebrate anew in Brooklyn. They’re listed as 4.5-point underdogs against a team that has faced very little resistance over the last several days.
The Rams (24-9) blasted No. 10 seed Massachusetts in the quarterfinals before running away from upstart Davidson last night. In doing so, they limited the Wildcats to 37 percent shooting and specifically put the clamps on all-world scorer Jack Gibbs.
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VCU now owns an 18-5 ATS spread in its last 23 games vs. league opponents. Not only is head coach Will Wade’s group more well-rested, it’s simply overwhelming all comers of late.
Of course, the most meeting between the two schools produced anything but a blowout. The Rams actually needed a substantial rally to knock off St. Joe’s, 85-82, on Jan. 5.
Melvin Johnson and Mo Alie-Cox combined for 39 points in that affair, which helped VCU reduce a bit of the sting that accompanied the program’s championship loss to the Hawks two years ago. Expect the tandem to be front and center this afternoon, too, clinching an automatic NCAA berth for the Rams.
SUNDAY NCAA FREE PICK: VCU -4.5
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