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The VCU Rams are tied atop the Atlantic-10 as the regular season winds down. They can keep it a two-team race by knocking off the Richmond Spiders next time out, but a win by Richmond will also bring them into the fold.
This is a critical matchup for both teams as they are angling for an appearance in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Richmond is looking for some revenge after losing the first matchup between these teams, and gets this shot at home.
Even though the Spiders have that advantage, VCU has been so good this season that it wouldn’t be a surprise if it is the favorite in this one.
At 9 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Friday, February 17, 2017, at the Robins Center in Richmond, Virginia.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Richmond is 15-10 straight up and 12-8-1 against the spread. The Spiders have played in 10 true home games this season and have gone 4-5-1 against the spread. Richmond is 5-5-1 against the spread as the favorite this season and 7-3 against the spread as the underdog.
VCU is 21-5 straight up and 10-13-2 against the spread since the expectations have been high all year. The Rams have played in seven true road games on the year and have only covered in two of them, so they are hoping that will change here. VCU is 10-12-2 against the spread as the favorite this season. It has only been the underdog once and failed to cover.
Last Meeting
The first time these two city rivals met back on February 1st, VCU defeated Richmond 81-74 to join Dayton atop the Atlantic 10 Conference leaderboard. As the two conference foes prepare to meet again this week, VCU will try for its seventh straight win in row to improve to 12-2 against conference opponents.
Justin Tillman led the charge for VCU, finishing with 18 points on the night and freshman Samir Doughty added another 16 points in the win. The Rams led by a point a halftime and after a back-and-forth start the second half, the home team took control in the final minutes for the win.
This week, the game moves to Robins Center where the Rams will have the luxury of home court advantage, but the close proximity of the two schools makes it easy for visiting fans to travel. VCU has won the last four matchups between these two programs with Richmond’s last win coming in 2015.
Player to Watch
ShawnDre’ Jones -- The Richmond guard is the team’s most dangerous offensive weapon by far. Jones finished with a team-high 30 points the first time these two teams met a couple weeks ago and he leads the team with 17.2 points per game this season.
Jones has recorded three games where he scored 30 points or more this season. He also put up 30 against conference opponent Duquesne on on January 28th and scored a season-high 31 points in the season opener against VMI.
The senior is averaging 21.5 points over the last five games. He will be the most important factor for the Spiders in this tough conference matchup.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
VCU is making its case as the best team in the conference and can continue that push with a big road win in this one. Richmond is a solid foe and if it wins, the A-10 could turn into a three-team race.
While the Spiders played well the first time out, they ended up losing on the road. While this one could come down to the wire, VCU is too strong. The Rams are the choice although they may have to pull it out in the final seconds.
College Basketball Odds: VCU 79, Richmond 77
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