The Saint Joseph’s Hawks and the Colorado State Rams meet Wednesday in NIT college basketball action from Moby Arena in Fort Collins. Here’s a Colorado State vs. Saint Joseph’s prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Colorado State vs. Saint Joseph’s pick.
Saint Joseph’s Hawks Betting Preview
The Hawks were 11-8 through their first 19 games back on January 19, then hit a four-game win streak over Dayton, Loyola, La Salle and George Washington. After losses to George Mason and Fordham came wins over St. Bonaventure, Loyola, George Mason, Rhode Island, Davidson, La Salle and Davidson again. After a loss to VCU in the tourney, the Hawks are 22-11 overall.
In the matchup with VCU over the weekend, the Hawks came back out onto the floor in the second half with a troubling deficit of 44-21. Saint Joseph’s made an effort at a comeback on a 43-33 run but it wasn’t nearly enough in a 77-64 loss. Austin Williford was the leading team scorer with his 17 points and seven boards, while Jaiden Glover Toscano had 14 points.
Colorado State Rams Betting Preview
Over on the Rams’ side, they were sitting at 12-10 overall as January came to an end. Colorado State had come off a rough 3-8 stretch at that point but then beat San Jose State, Air Force, Wyoming, UNLV, San Diego State, Fresno State, San Jose State and New Mexico before a loss to Boise State. The Rams would then beat Fresno State ahead of a loss to San Diego State.
In the San Diego State tournament matchup last Thursday, the Rams were in the locker room at halftime with a 12-point deficit, 39-27. Colorado State had a 35-32 advantage the rest of the way but ended up taking the loss 71-62 as time ran out. Brandon Rechsteiner put up 16 points with four rebounds, while Jase Butler added 14 points with three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Why the Colorado State Rams will win
- Colorado State has won seven of its last eight games against non-conference opponents at Moby Arena.
- Saint Joseph’s has lost each of its last three away games when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- Colorado State has won the first half in seven of its last eight games against non-conference opponents at Moby Arena.
Why the Saint Joseph’s Hawks will win
- Saint Joseph’s has won seven of its last eight games.
- Saint Joseph’s has won the first half in six of its last seven games.
Total Points Facts
- Nine of Saint Joseph’s last 10 games have produced a total of 144 or fewer points.
- Six of Colorado State’s last seven games against non-conference opponents at Moby Arena have produced a total of 146+ points.
Matchup/League Facts
- Colorado State ranks 1st among Division 1 teams for opponent blocks per game this season (2.0).
- Colorado State ranks 362nd among Division 1 teams for field goal attempts per game this season (51.2).
- Saint Joseph’s ranks 12th among Division 1 teams for opponent free throw percentage this season (68.4%).
- Saint Joseph’s ranks 19th among Division 1 teams for blocks per game this season (4.9).
Colorado State vs Saint Joseph’s Prediction
I’ll lean toward the Rams but it’s a coin flip. Colorado State had a bad first half in the San Diego State loss and could never recover—thanks mostly to just 33.3 percent shooting from the field and 14 turnovers. The 39-28 rebounding deficit didn’t help either, but the bigger issue was the 42-8 disadvantage in the paint. It wasn’t pretty. Still, the Rams are 9-2 in their last 11 games and do have the capability to score when they’re motivated—despite posting fewer than 68 points in their last trio.
As for the Hawks, they shot just 38.8 percent from the field in their loss to VCU and posted a 36-30 disadvantage in the paint. Saint Joe’s didn’t play too badly otherwise though—outside of the meager 2-of-5 (40 percent) from the line. The Hawks are 7-1 in their last eight games with 70 or more points scored in six of those. This tournament matchup could go a lot of different ways.