Saint Louis vs Richmond Game Preview, Odds, Picks & Predictions
Spiders Bidding for Fourth Straight Home Win in A-10 Matchup
Saint Louis Takes Aim at Win No. 20
In a conference where 10 teams have won at least twice as many home games as they have lost, Richmond is one of the top teams at home. The Spiders own a 10-3 record at home, including three straight wins. However, those who bet online should know that the Spiders are just 1-5-1 against the spread in their last seven games at home.
Saint Louis has won just four of its nine road games. The teams are currently fifth and sixth in the Atlantic 10 Conference standings, although they could easily move into the top four for the conference tournament.
St. Bonaventure (+3600) and Davidson (+4000) have the best odds among the Atlantic-10 teams to reach the Final Four while Richmond comes in at +8800 according to the March Madness odds.
Richmond’s Jacob Gilyard is the conference leader in steals while Francis Okoro of St. Louis is third in rebounding.
Homecoming for Saint Louis’ Top Scorer
Friday’s game figures to be a special one for Saint Louis redshirt freshman Gibson Jimerson.
The Billikens’ leading scorer is actually in his third season with St. Louis as a result of the changes in eligibility due to the global pandemic. He averaged 10.8 points during the 2019-20 season, aided by a 25-point game against High Point and a 22-point effort against Tulane.
This will be his first game at Richmond, although he did play against the Spiders in 2021, going scoreless in nine minutes. He had a much larger impact in the first game against Richmond this season with 17 points in 35 minutes.
Jimerson had a stretch of three straight 20-point games in January but points have been harder to come by in recent games. He has been held under 10 points three times in the last eight games and averaged 11.5 points on 36 percent shooting in those eight games. Before that, he was averaging 18.1 points and shooting 47 percent.
Jimerson has 61 3-pointers in 26 games, matching his total in 31 games over the last two seasons combined.
Saint Louis is 6-2 against the college basketball spreads in its last eight games against Richmond.
The Billikens have played in the NCAA Tournament nine times, including a run to the Elite Eight in 1952. The last appearance came in 2019, and although the March Madness predictions currently favor other conference teams, they will be a threat in the A-10 tournament.
Richmond’s Burton on Roll
Richmond leading scorer Tyler Burton has displayed the tendency to play his best against the top competition in recent action.
The last time the Spiders faced St. Bonaventure, which is 1½ games ahead of Richmond in the Atlantic-10 Conference standings, he went off for 36 points on 13-of-20 shooting. He also recently had a game with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Virginia Commonwealth, the second-place team in the conference.
Burton’s versatility is the key to his success, as he has six games with at least three 3-pointers and three made foul shots.
Tyler Burton led Richmond with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and this block at VCU. He’s the @orthovirginia player of the game for the Spiders. #OneRichmond pic.twitter.com/YHUTakwm0f
— Richmond Basketball (@SpiderMBB) February 20, 2022
Burton has been doing more damage from the free-throw line than from long distance over the last six games, going 28 of 34 from the line and 8 of 23 on 3-pointers.
Burton set season highs with 12 free throws made and 14 attempts in the first game against Saint Louis this season. He finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds in 34 minutes.
Richmond hasn’t been a part of the March Madness brackets since 2011 and it will take a run to the Atlantic 10 tournament title for the Spiders to return to the NCAAs.
Richmond has covered against the Las Vegas odds in just one of its last five home games against Saint Louis,
Saint Louis at Richmond Head-to-Head
Saint Louis has won the last four meetings and covered in the last three, including a 76-69 win on Jan. 2 as a 2½-point favorite at home.
The Billikens won 74-58 as a 5½-point underdog the last time they traveled to Richmond. It was the second straight road win for Saint Louis in the series.
Five of the last seven games between the teams went over the total and six of the last seven meetings were decided by single digits.
Saint Louis at Richmond Game Information
- Game: Saint Louis (19-9) at Richmond (18-10)
- Location: Robins Center, Richmond, VA
- Day/Time: Friday, 7 p.m. ET
- Television: ESPN
Saint Louis at Richmond Betting Lines
Saint Louis at Richmond Prediction
Although Saint Louis is first and Richmond fourth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring offense, recent history indicates that this game could go under the total. Four of the last six Saint Louis games have finished under the total while seven of Richmond’s last 10 games did the same.
One big difference between the team is the rebounding. Saint Louis tops the conference in offensive rebounds per game and is second in rebounding margin while Richmond ranks 13th and 12th in those categories.
