Saint Louis vs Richmond 1/2/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Richmond Spiders will travel to Chaifetz Arena to take on the Saint Louis Billikens this Sunday afternoon in College Basketball action.

The Richmond Spiders had their 6-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 9-5 on the season after being defeated by the Saint Joseph’s Hawks, 83-56, this past Thursday. Richmond struggled on both ends of the court and could not fight back after Saint Joseph’s took a 59-39 lead with 13:04 left in regulation. Richmond shot just 27.8% from the field & 18.2% from beyond the arc while allowing Saint Joseph’s to shoot 51.7% from the field & 36.4% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Spiders was Grant Golden who had 14 points, 7 rebounds, & 3 assits.

On the season, Richmond is averaging 73.7 ppg on 45.3% shooting from the field. The Spiders are averaging 9.3 three-pointers per game on 35.0% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Richmond has been led by Tyler Burton (18.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg), Grant Golden (16.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.5 apg), Jacob Gilyard (9.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.4 apg, 3.4 spg), & Nathan Cayo (7.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.1 apg).

Defensively, Richmond is allowing their opponents to average 70.4 ppg on 44.6% shooting from the field. The Spiders have a rebound margin of -4.7 and a turnover margin of 3.4.

The Saint Louis Billikens dropped to 8-4 on the season after being defeated by the 13^th ranked Auburn Tigers, 74-70, on December 18^th. Saint Louis led by a 60-47 margin midway through the 2^nd half, however, the Billikens offense struggled down the stretch and Auburn was able to take lead for good after a K.D. Johnson jumper gave the Tigers a 72-70 lead with just :09 seconds left in regulation. Saint Louis shot 41.7% from the field & 23.5% from beyond the arc while allowing Auburn to shoot 46.7% from the field & 39.1% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Billikens was Yuri Collins who had a double-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, & 3 steals.

On the season, Saint Louis is averaging 82.1 ppg on 47.4% shooting from the field. The Billikens are averaging 6.9 three-pointers per game on 37.4% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Saint Louis has been led by Gibson Jimerson (16.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg), Marten Linssen (10.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg), Yuri Collins (10.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 7.9 apg, 2.3 spg), & Jordan Nesbitt (9.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.2 spg).

Defensively, Saint Louis is allowing their opponents to average 68.0 ppg on 42.8% shooting from the field. The Billikens have a rebound margin of 7.4 and a turnover margin of 2.5.

The Spiders are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games vs. Saint Louis and just 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games vs. A-10 opponents. The Billikens are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games & 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games.

Richmond has been led by their offense which ranks 144^th in scoring offense and has a defense that can create turnovers, however, the Spiders have had trouble keeping opponents of the scoreboard as Richmond comes into this game ranked just 220^th in scoring defense & 272^nd in defensive FG%. Saint Louis has been led by their offense which ranks 18^th in scoring offense, 53^rd in FG%, & 44^th in 3P-FG% and been decent defensively as the Billikens rank t-174^th in scoring defense & 37^th in rebound margin.

Richmond is a better team than what we saw recently against Saint Joseph’s, however, Saint Louis, despite losing 3 of their last 4 games is a team that has talent to become a top-25 team. Saint Louis should have a big advantage on the boards in this one and as I think the Billikens offense has no trouble putting up plenty of points in this one, I’m taking Richmond to cover this small home spread. Good Luck!