St. Joseph’s Hawks (11-12) vs. Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (8-14)
Week 14 of the 2022-23 NCAA men’s basketball season is in full swing on Wednesday, February 8, when the St. Joseph’s Hawks take on the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers in this Atlantic 10 clash at the Joseph J. Gentile Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
These teams met in January, with St. Joe’s earning an 86-55 victory. They were favored by 1.0 points in this contest, with the game going slightly over the 140.5 total that was set. No line or total was set for this game at the time this analysis was written.
Hawks Winning Streak Snapped
The St. Joseph’s Hawks (11-12, 13-10-0 ATS) lost to LaSalle on Sunday, 73-65. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak and is their second defeat in the last seven contests. The Hawks will be on the road for three of their next four games where they are 3-4 this season. The team is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games, with the only ATS loss being against LaSalle.
LaSalle held a five-point lead at the half and extended that to eight by the time the closing buzzer sounded. The Hawks shot 43.5% from the floor but were just 6-25 from three-point range, including 2-13 in the second half. Free-throw shooting is what killed this team, as they were 5-13 from the line, including 3-10 in the second half. Erik Reynolds led the team with 15 points, and Ejike Obinna also scored in double digits, recording 14 points.
Recap: Hawks fall to La Salle in Big 5 finale, 73-65. #THWND
— SJU Hawks MBB (@SJUHawks_MBB) February 5, 2023
🔗 https://t.co/VtgX7tfx8r pic.twitter.com/I8Yej2q2FB
St. Joseph’s is 93rd in possessions per game (71.8), and has been slightly below that number over the last three games (69.7). The Hawks are averaging 103.1 points per 100 possessions. St. Joseph’s is averaging 71.8 points per game (168th) while allowing 71.7 points per contest (243rd). This is not a very good shooting team, ranked 279th in field-goal percentage (42.8%) and it was not a surprise at how poorly they shot from the free-throw line, connecting on 66.4% of their attempts for the season. St. Joe’s ranks 201st in the KenPom rankings.
Ramblers Snap Two-Game Skid
The Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (8-14, 6-16-0 ATS) downed George Mason University on Saturday, 69-61. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak while moving the Ramblers to 6-4 at home this season. Loyola has won the last two games at home. They are 3-1 ATS in their last four games.
The Ramblers took a five-point lead into the half, holding George Mason to 37.0% shooting. The Ramblers hit 44.8% of their shots in the first half but finished 6-19 from three-point range. They dominated from the free-throw line, hitting 17 of 24 free-throw attempts, including 13-19 in the second half. Braden Norris, Philip Alston, and Bryce Golden each had 13 points to lead the Ramblers.
The Ramblers held George Mason to a season-low 32% shooting Saturday to pick up a 69-61 victory inside Gentile Arena!
— Loyola Men's Basketball (@RamblersMBB) February 4, 2023
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🗞️➡️ https://t.co/1kc7xwr9bn
Loyola-Chicago is averaging 69.1 shots per game, 232nd in the nation, and has been slightly under that mark over their last three contests (68.4). The team is averaging 103.0 points per 100 possessions (222nd) while allowing 108.3 points per 100 possessions (243rd). The Ramblers are averaging 67.4 points per game, 288th while allowing 72.1 per contest (258th). Loyola-Chicago is ranked 235th in the KenPom rankings.
Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
Statistically, this is a fairly evenly matched game, although St. Joe’s seems like the team that is a little better offensively. The clubs are allowing about the same number of points per game, so the question becomes whether Loyola-Chicago has enough of an advantage by playing this contest at home. The Ramblers have won their last two games at home, but that came after three straight home losses and they are 2-8 in the conference while the Hawks are 5-6.
When these clubs met earlier this season, St. Joseph’s absolutely blew out Loyola-Chicago, winning by 31. That was just three weeks ago, and not a lot has changed for either team since then. No one should expect a 31-point victory here for the Hawks, but do not be surprised if they win by at least 15.
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Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The total in the previous contest was set at 140.5, and the teams combined for 141 points. In fact, the total for the last three games has been set above 140, as these teams have played high-scoring affairs in the last two, going over 140 in both contests.
However, this Ramblers team is struggling, scoring under 70 points in six of their last seven games, including being held under 60 in three of those contests. The Hawks have been held under 70 in each of their last two games but had scored 79 or better in four of the previous six games. For them to pull out a 15+ point victory, they are likely to score around 75 in this game. If the total is set at anything over 138 in this contest, go under.