The A-10 quarterfinals kick off on Friday, March 13 with Saint Louis vs. George Washington at 11:30 a.m. ET.
The Billikens earned a bye to the quarterfinals as the No. 1 seed in the A-10 Tournament, while the No. 9 Revolutionaries earned a bye to the second round and then defeated No. 8 Fordham.
Saint Louis is a 6.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 160.5 points.
Here’s my prediction, preview and pick for Friday’s Saint Louis vs. George Washington matchup.
Saint Louis vs. George Washington prediction, preview
Don’t let the seedings confuse you, this is a terrific game. While George Washington is the No. 9 seed facing No. 1 Saint Louis, these teams had a close matchup in the regular season. The Billikens won 79-76 at home—a much closer game than one would’ve expected.
Although the Billikens are 27-4, that regular season game casts a shadow of doubt over this matchup. Furthermore, they lost the final regular season game 86-57 to George Mason. George Mason earned the fifth seed and is already knocked out of the A-10 Tournament.
Momentum isn’t on Saint Louis’ side, but that’s not always what determines victories in March. The time off between the last regular season loss and this conference tourney game may benefit the Billikens. The team was cold to end the year, and resting could be the solution.
George Washington, meanwhile, is coming off a 66-62 victory over Fordham in the second round. Although it’s a win, the Revolutionaries aren’t on the best streak. Prior to this, they lost three of their last five regular season games. That’s not the momentum one needs heading into March.
Saint Louis vs. George Washington pick, best bet
Because these teams shared a close regular season matchup in January, it makes the No. 1 vs. No. 9 seed matchup look much tighter. Saint Louis only won by three points at home and now gets a neutral site game against that same team.
A lot has changed since then, and it’ll be hard to pull off a similar performance like that. Had Saint Louis not missed half of its free throws, this would be a different story. That’s what this game will come down to—who shoots better at the foul line. It should be the No. 1 seed.
