An early season battle for supremacy in the Atlantic-10 pits two of the conference’s top teams when the Rhode Island Rams travel to face the Dayton Flyers on Friday night. The Rams’ non-conference record wasn’t as glossy as it could’ve been and the team fell out of the top 25 early, but playing one of the toughest schedules in the country can do that to you. Still, the Rams entered league play as a favorite to win the title after claiming eight victories ahead of conference action.
This war on the floor will go down Friday, January 6, 2017, at 7 p.m. ET at the University of Dayton Arena. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.
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URI has had the top defense in the A-10 the past two seasons and once again they’re stifling opponents. The Rams enter the week as the top defensive team in the conference, surrendering only 64.5 points per game. They’ve played below the scoring total in four of their last six contests. The visiting Rams will be getting points in this one, which is a rare occurrence. URI is 1-2 both SU and ATS when playing as an underdog.
Dayton has plenty of experience returning from a club that went 25-8 and tied for the regular season conference title last season. That was enough to make the Flyers the preseason pick to win it all in 2017. They are off to a hot start with an 11-3 overall record after knocking off St. Bonaventure on Tuesday night. The Flyers are 7-1 SU and 4-2 ATS at home this season with the only defeat coming by four points to 19th ranked Saint Mary’s.
Injury Report
URI’s depth will be severely tested as the Rams enter league play with limited contributions from Hassan Martin, who sustained a quadriceps injury last week. Martin was the best player on the floor for the Rams during the early part of the year, leading the team with 16 points and eight rebounds per game. He was also a force in the paint for URI’s stingy defense with 31 blocks through the first eight games. His height and athleticism forced opponents who dared to enter the paint to make adjustments as he altered attempts in the key with his rim protection.
Martin returned for a cameo in URI’s 88-58 win over St. Joseph’s on Tuesday night, contributing 10 points and four blocks in 20 minutes. He wasn’t needed for much more time as the Rams opened up a big early lead and cruised.
Dayton’s best player, 6-foot-5 wing Charles Cooke, is a question mark to play on Friday after injuring his back. Cooke leads the Flyers with 18.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and was able to score 13 points with eight boards in a win over LaSalle before getting hurt.
Key Stat
These are the two best defensive clubs in the A-10 and both would prefer to slow the game down to gain an advantage. Dayton is at its best when playing a slower tempo and uses a deep bench to apply defensive pressure. The Flyers are holding opponents to below 40 percent shooting from the floor and give up only 65.3 points per game. The Flyers are even stingier at home, allowing slightly better than 61 points in their eight games.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Dayton was picked as the preseason favorite to win the A-10 with URI close behind, so this figures to be a tightly contested matchup. The Flyers must work around the loss of Cooke, and that’s a big loss. Cooke is a matchup nightmare with his size and skill and gives Dayton a big weapon. But the Flyers have an experienced group of seniors led by Kyle Davis, Scoochie Smith and Kendall Pollard, which has led the team to many victories over the years.
Rhode Island will look to attack the basket and take advantage of the Flyers minus Cooke. They need to hit a high percentage of shots because they will likely lose the rebound battle. If they can hang close, the game sets up well for them. But the Flyers, even without Cooke, are an experienced team and they play extremely well at home.
College Basketball Odds: Dayton 71, Rhode Island 67
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