VCU Rams vs La Salle Explorers Prediction, 1/13/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: VCU Rams vs La Salle Explorers

Date: Saturday, January 13, 2024

Location: Tom Gola Arena in Philadelphia, PA

TV: ESPN+

The La Salle Explorers (10-6) welcome the VCU Rams (9-7) at Tom Gola Arena on Saturday.

The VCU Rams faced off with George Mason and notched a win by a score of 54-50 in their last game. When discussing fouls, the Rams finished with 14 and George Mason recorded 14 fouls. They knocked down 0 out of their 15 shots from beyond the perimeter. George Mason finished 76.9% at the charity stripe by making 10 of their 13 shots. On top of that, George Mason pulled down 29 rebounds (9 offensive, 20 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. George Mason distributed 3 assists and had 9 steals for this game. With respect to the defense, VCU allowed 37.0% from the floor on 20 of 54 shooting. They also doled out 10 assists for this game as well as forcing the opposition into 11 turnovers and earning 10 steals. In reference to pulling down rebounds, they collected 34 with 9 of them being of the offensive variety. At the free throw line, the Rams made 11 of 15 shots for a rate of 73.3%. VCU finished the contest having earned a 35.3% field goal percentage (18 out of 51) and made 7 of their 25 shots from 3-point land.

Max Shulga is one player who was a factor in this contest. He finished the contest at 42.9% from the floor and also dished out 3 assists. He was on the hardwood for 34 minutes played and pulled down 7 rebounds. He ended up scoring 13 points on 3 of 7 shooting.

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VCU comes into this matchup with a mark of 9-7 on the campaign. They currently have an average of 73.3 pts per game (219th in D-1) while hitting 45.2% from the floor. The Rams are shooting 34.0% on shots from distance (133 of 391) and 77.6% from the free throw line. As a team, VCU is grabbing 36.4 boards per contest and has racked up 227 assists for the campaign, which is 122nd in D-1 in terms of passing the rock. They lose possession via turnover 12.9 times per contest and as a unit they are committing 16.9 fouls on a nightly basis.

When they are on defense, the Rams are forcing their opponents into 10.8 turnovers per contest while drawing 17.6 fouls. They are giving up 31.1% on shots from beyond the arc while they are 100th in the country in points per game from their opponents (67.8). The Rams are allowing a FG percentage of 40.8% (372 of 911) and they concede 32.6 boards per game as a group. They are currently ranked 32nd in the nation in giving up assists to the opposition with 160 conceded so far this year.

When they last stepped on the court, the La Salle Explorers took a defeat with a final score of 81-65 when they played UMass. The Explorers were able to pull down 20 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive rebounds totaling 27 in this game. They also turned it over 12 times, while getting 6 steals for the game. UMass had 18 personal fouls for the matchup which took the Explorers to the free throw line for a total of 15 tries. They were able to bury 6 of the free throw tries for a clip of 40.0%. With regard to 3-pointers, La Salle knocked down 7 out of their 25 tries (28.0%). Overall, the Explorers walked away from this one shooting 26 for 61 from the field which gave them a percentage of 42.6%. The Explorers allowed UMass to make 31 out of 63 tries from the floor which left them with a rate of 49.2% in this matchup. They shot 38.5% from distance by connecting on 5 out of 13 and ended up going 14 out of 21 from the free throw line (66.7%). In regard to how they rebounded, La Salle permitted UMass to snag 39 overall (12 offensive).

Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi pitched in for the Explorers in the game. He converted 5 out of 10 for the contest for a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and tallied 4 rebounds. He recorded 14 points in his 37 minutes on the hardwood and accumulated 3 dimes for the contest.

La Salle has a mark of 10-6 on the campaign. The Explorers are committing 16.7 fouls per contest and they go 71.9% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 15.8 times per contest (65th in college basketball) and they are turning it over 10.0 times per game. La Salle has accounted for 1,220 points on the year (76.3 per contest) and they snag 34.9 rebounds per game. When it comes to offense, the Explorers are hitting on 44.4% from the floor, which ranks 205th in the country.

The Explorers defensively are ranked 224th in college hoops in PPG allowed with 72.9. They have forced 12.3 TO's every game and have allowed teams to shoot 44.3% from the field (256th in the nation). The La Salle defense gives up 34.5% on three-point shots (108 of 313) and their opponents are converting on 68.7% of their free throw shots. They relinquish 14.3 assists and 38.3 boards per contest, which ranks 288th and 312th in those categories.

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take La Salle

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