Collectively, A-10 teams were 19 games under .500 versus the pointspread, a statistic that college basketball betting wonks will be watching this winter. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
DAYTON (27-8 SU, 14-17 ATS, 18-13 O/U): The Flyers return 11 or their top 12 scorers, including Chris Wright (13.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG), from the team that won 27 games last season.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:5-8
Home Underdog:1-0
Away Favorite:3-4
Away Underdog:2-2
Neutral Site:3-3
Sportsbook Buster: The Flyers were 9-14 as favorites.
Sports Betting Angle: Dayton was 9-4 ATS on three or more days rest.
XAVIER (27-8 SU, 20-12-1 ATS, 14-18-1 O/U): New Head Coach Chris Mack inherits a team that is young and missing its top three scorers from last season’s Sweet 16 squad.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:7-5-1
Home Underdog:0-0
Away Favorite:6-4
Away Underdog:1-0
Neutral site:6-3
Sportsbook Buster: The Musketeers were 11-6-1 ATS in conference games.
Sports Betting Angle: Xavier was 18-8-1 ATS on two or more days rest.
RICHMOND (20-16 SU, 17-12 ATS, 16-13 O/U): The Spiders have scoring punch but need to address turnovers and a lack of rebounding to move up the A-10 ladder.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:4-6
Home Underdog:4-0
Away Favorite:0-2
Away Underdog:8-2
Neutral Site:1-2
Sportsbook Buster: The Spiders were 12-3 as underdogs.
Sports Betting Angle: Richmond was 11-7 ATS in conference games.
LA SALLE (18-13 SU, 13-12-1 ATS, 13-13 O/U): Rodney Green (17.8 PPG) is the A-10’s top point guard on a team loaded with senior experience and a threat to win the conference title.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:5-3
Home Underdog:1-4
Away Favorite:0-1
Away Underdog:5-3
Neutral Site:2-1-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Explorers are 13-4-1 ATS as road underdogs the last two seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: La Salle was 9-5-1 ATS on two or fewer days rest.
MASSACHUSETTS (12-18 SU, 11-15-1 ATS, 14-13 O/U): Ricky Harris (18.2 PPG) is the A-10’s top returning scorer but the league’s top recruiting class needs to produce too.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:3-4
Home Underdog:2-1-1
Away Favorite:1-2
Away Underdog:4-6
Neutral Site:1-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Minutemen were 2-7-1 ATS in conference games.
Sports Betting Angle: UMass was 6-10 ATS playing on three or more days rest.
TEMPLE (22-12 SU, 20-12-1 ATS, 11-22 O/U): Tough to replace Dionte Christmas (19.5 PPG) but three starters return from last season’s NCAA Tournament team.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:6-4
Home Underdog: 1-0
Away Favorite:5-3
Away Underdog:1-4-1
Neutral Site:5-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Owls are 27-9-2 ATS in Atlantic 10 games the last two seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: Temple was 14-7 as a favorite.
DUQUESNE (21-13 SU, 14-14 ATS, 15-13 O/U): The Dukes only loss from a year ago is a big one, PG Aaron Jackson (19.3 PPG, 5.7 APG, 5.6 RPG) but Eric Evans could be the answer.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:4-6
Home Underdog:2-0
Away Favorite:2-0
Away Underdog:3-5
Neutral Site:3-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Dukes were 5-9 ATS on three or more days rest.
Sports Betting Angle: The “over” was 7-4 in Duquesne road games.
ST. BONAVENTURE (15-15 SU, 13-11-1 ATS, 11-12-1 O/U): Andrew Nicholson (12.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG) is the core of a team that needs to limit turnovers to reach the A-10 upper half.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:0-3
Home Underdog:4-4-1
Away Favorite:1-0
Away Underdog:8-2
Neutral Site:0-2
Sportsbook Buster: The Bonnies were 9-2 ATS on the road.
Sports Betting Angle: St. Bonaventure was 9-4 ATS after a SU defeat.
RHODEISLAND (23-11 SU, 14-13-2 ATS, 13-16 O/U): A-10 Coach of the Year Jim Baron will play the running game again but the task is tougher without legitimate 3-point shooters.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:5-5
Home Underdog:0-1
Away Favorite:5-2-1
Away Underdog:4-3
Neutral Site:0-2-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Rams were 9-5-1 ATS on the road.
Sports Betting Angle: Rhode Island was 7-4-1 ATS in non-conference games.
ST. JOSEPH’S (17-15 SU, 13-16-1 ATS, 13-17 O/U): The loss of Ahmad Nivins (19.2 PPG, 11.8 RPG) leaves the Coach Phil Martelli with a hole in the middle and a rebuilding job ahead.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:3-7-1
Home Underdog:0-1
Away Favorite:4-1
Away Underdog:2-3
Neutral Site:3-3
Sportsbook Buster: The Hawks were 3-9-1 ATS at home.
Sports Betting Angle: St. Joe’s was 6-10-1 ATS on three or more days rest.
CHARLOTTE (11-20 SU, 8-20-1 ATS, 12-15-2 O/U): Coach Bobby Lutz could be gone if the 49ers, who lost their best player, don’t show improvement this season.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:3-6
Home Underdog:3-1
Away Favorite:0-2
Away Underdog:2-6-1
Neutral Site:0-4
Sportsbook Buster: The 49ers were 3-14 ATS in conference play.
Sports Betting Angle: Charlotte was 2-9-1 ATS on the road.
SAINT LOUIS (18-14 SU, 13-13 ATS, 15-11 O/U): A roster that includes eight freshmen, four sophomores and one junior might be more cohesive and potent in a year or two.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:4-3
Home Underdog:2-1
Away Favorite:1-2
Away Underdog:4-4
Neutral Site:1-3
Sportsbook Buster: The Billikens were 11-7 ATS in conference games.
Sports Betting Angle: The “over” was 9-2 when Saint Louis was as a favorite.
GEORGE WASHINGTON (10-18 SU, 10-12-1 ATS, 10-13 O/U): The Colonials have a stud in Damian Hollis (13.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG) but almost nothing to go with him.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:3-2
Home Underdog:1-1-1
Away Favorite: 1-0
Away Underdog:4-5
Neutral Site:0-3
Sportsbook Buster: The Colonials are 6-1-1 as home underdogs the last two seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: GW was 6-2 ATS after a SU win.
FORDHAM (3-25 SU, 6-20 ATS, 14-12 O/U): The Rams were last in the A-10 in scoring, scoring defense, rebounding and assists last season and it doesn’t look any better this year.
By the Numbers (2008/09 Season)
Home Favorite:0-2
Home Underdog:2-9
Away Favorite:0-0
Away Underdog:4-8
Neutral Site:0-1
Sportsbook Buster: The Rams were 6-18 as underdogs.
Sports Betting Angle: Fordham was 2-11 ATS at home.
This is the seventh of 11 NCAA basketball betting previews.
