VCU vs. Dayton College Basketball prediction, preview
VCU is attempting to make its best case that the A-10 deserves another team in the field outside of Saint Louis. One route will be winning the conference tournament next week, but in order to remain anywhere close to the bubble, the Rams need to grab this road win in Dayton.
VCU has been on a tremendous run in A-10 play, ripping off 12 wins overs its last 13 games, with the lone loss coming to the Billikens. Prior to the loss at Saint Louis, the Rams had won five consecutive games on the road. They’ve also performed well historically in this matchup against the Flyers, winning nine of the last 13 head to heads, and covering five of the last six. VCU has covered five straight trips to Dayton.
Both teams are pretty solid defensively, but the Rams hold a pretty sizable edge on offense — ranking 48th in offensive efficiency on KenPom, compared to just 130th for the Flyers. VCU plays with much more pace compared to Dayton, and will look to force turnovers and create more possessions in this game to give its superior offense more chances to pull away.
The Rams also hold a significant advantage on the glass, as the Flyers are one of the worst rebounding teams in the country. Between turnovers, rebounds and speeding up the game, I think VCU has its way once again in Dayton and secures the win. I’ll play the Rams as short home dogs in a big conference finale in A-10 play.
