Game of the Night:
St. Bonaventure vs Dayton | 8:30 ET | CBS Sports Network
Under .500 for the first time since the 2005-06 season, Dayton enters this game in unfamiliar territory. The Flyers fell to 6-7 after dropping their conference opener at Duquesne. Despite starting the game on fire, Dayton went ice cold at the end, failing to score in the final five minutes of action. In fact, the Flyers have looked like a roller coaster all season. One minute Dayton looks like a NCAA tournament contender, the next the Flyers give up a double digit run and find have to come from behind. With Jaylen Adams and the Bonnies coming to town, Dayton needs to start playing more consistent basketball in a hurry. If the Flyers want to hang in this game and maybe start turning their A-10 season around, they must value each possession on both offense and defense.
St. Bonaventure, on the other hand, is off to an 11-2 start and looking to continue its dominance. Seeking an NCAA tournament appearance and Atlantic 10 title, this feels like a do or die year for the Bonnies. Led by lethal senior duo Jaylen Adams and Matt Mobley, St. Bonaventure dominated UMass 98-78 in its conference opener. Coming into Dayton riding and eight game win streak, the Bonnies have already picked up wins at Syracuse and against Maryland on a neutral site. While winning at Dayton is no easy task, St. Bonaventure certainly feels like its time has come. With NCAA tournament implications on the line every night, expect the Bonnies to handle business in the A-10 Wednesday night and throughout the rest of this year.
Prediction: St. Bonaventure 80, Dayton 68
Saint Louis vs Davidson | 7:00 ET | Atlantic 10 Network
Both Saint Louis and Davidson come into this one following a brutal start to A-10 play. Saint Louis got blown out at La Salle while Davidson fell to a 10 loss Richmond squad. That said, both of these teams have the potential to make a little noise in conference play. The Billikens and Wildcats have shown flashes of their talent this year, but have ultimately underachieved up to this point. I anticipate a good contest, but think Davidson’s offensive firepower will ultimately be too much for Saint Louis to handle.
Prediction: Davidson 79, Saint Louis 66
George Washington vs Duquesne | 7:00 ET | Atlantic 10 Network
Off to a 1-0 start in conference play, George Washington and Duquesne will battle for the right to stay tied atop the conference. While nobody expected much from either of these two teams this season, both the Colonials and Dukes are off to respectable starts. That said, many still doubt that either of these two teams are for real. Wednesday night is another opportunity to continue making a statement and I expect Duquesne to do just that.
Prediction: Duquesne 74, George Washington 66
Richmond vs Fordham | 7:00 ET | Atlantic 10 Network
With Richmond coming into this one at 3-10 and Fordham sitting at 5-8, not much exciting spin can be put on this Spider-Ram match-up. While Richmond did manage to win its first A-10 game of the year, downing Davidson 69-58, this season has been an absolute nightmare for the Spiders. As for Fordham, 2017 was more of the same old struggle. Hopefully 2018 will bring about better things for both the Spiders and Rams, but as of now, it’s not looking good.
Prediction: Fordham 67, Richmond 60
VCU vs Saint Joseph’s | 7:00 ET | Atlantic 10 Network
Coming off a conference opening loss at George Washington, Saint Joseph’s is looking to bounce back at home Wednesday night. VCU, on the other hand, kicked off its A-10 season with a win over Fordham on Saturday. Road games are never easy, but I think VCU will take care of business against the Hawks.
Prediction: VCU 78, Saint Joseph’s 68
La Salle vs Rhode Island | 7:00 ET | Cox YurView
After opening the A-10 slate with a couple emphatic wins, La Salle and Rhode Island meet for what should be a fun conference clash. Narrowly missing out on being featured as the game of the night, I expect the Explorers and Rams to entertain Wednesday night. Both teams have the ability to fill it up on the scoreboard, but I think Rhode Island will end up pulling away in the end.
Prediction: Rhode Island 80, La Salle 70
George Mason vs UMass 7:00 ET |
Two teams that have been up and down so far this year, George Mason and UMass will meet both looking to right the ship after opening A-10 play with a loss. While this game could go either way, I like the Minutemen to come out on top at home.
Prediction: UMass 75, George Mason 69
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