The NCAAB Atlantic 10 Conference continues to push ahead as the March Madness tournament quickly approaches and emerges into the thoughts of many of these college programs.
The NCAA Tournament is perhaps one of the pinnacle moments of the college basketball program, and one that many of the teams across the country will be looking to try and be a part of when it takes place.
Atlantic 10 Conference Standings
As we head into another fiery week of basketball action, VCU currently holds the top spot in the Atlantic 10 Conference standings, with the Virginia program on a two-game winning streak with an 11-3 conference record and a 20-7 overall record. They are closely followed by both Saint Louis and Dayton, who hold similar records of 10-4 across the Conference, and 18-9 overall; the latter is perhaps in better form as they are enjoying a three-game win streak compared to the former’s two-game consecutive wins.
At the other end of the conference, Loyola IL returned to losing ways and remain bottom, although Rhode Island continues to find it hard to win a match as they have lost five straight. UMass and Davidson are both climbing away from the bottom as they both won their last matches.
Looking at individual performances, as per the stats provided by team rankings, James Bishop is the lead scorer in the conference. The George Washington guard is currently averaging a division-leading 21.19 points. He is closely followed by Richmond forward Tyler Burton (18.93), and guard Erik Reynolds II (18.33) of Saint Joseph’s. Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II leads rebounds (7.96) and is just ahead of Burton (7.63).
What Matches are There To Look Forward To?
With a slate of fixtures to look forward to, fans of the Atlantic 10 Conference will be pleased to know that there are a number of exciting games set to take to the court this upcoming week (Feb 21-27). These are the matches to look forward to:
- Saint Louis vs Richmond – February 21
- VCU vs Saint Josephs – February 21
- St. Bonavent vs Davidson – February 22
- George Washington vs Rhode Island – February 22
- Dayton vs UMass – February 22
- Duquesne vs La Salle – February 22
- Fordham vs Loyola IL – February 22
- Richmond vs VCU – February 24
- Rhode Island vs Fordham – February 25
- La Selle vs George Washington – February 25
Games to Look Forward To
Naturally, there are a couple of fixtures in this slate of matches to be played that will have caught the eye for a variety of different reasons. One of those reasons will have been because of the implications that they may have in the run-in for March Madness, however, another reason some may be interested in the upcoming games is in regard to the opportunity to place bets.
While not legal nationwide, the US betting scene is starting to emerge as one of the biggest in the world. More and more people are now starting to place wagers on the sports that they love in order to enhance their passion further.
One game that may attract enthusiasts is the game between Dayton and UMass. While online wagering will not go live until March in Massa, fans of sports betting could get the latest pre-registration offers like the FanDuel Massachusetts Promo Code and be ready to wager for their favorite teams. This new change is already generating buzz for many residents as they begin to look at potential options that are available to them.
While Dayton will be favored by many in the betting market, there are a number of reasons why bettors may consider a surprise upset by UMass when the two square off on the basketball court. One reason is that the team representing the University of Massachusetts Amherst managed to average more points in their games compared to their opponents. Dayton has managed 68.9, whereas UMass has managed 71.1.
Furthermore, they achieve a greater number of rebounds (38.1 compared to 36.6), as well as making fewer turnovers; a total of 16.7% compared to 17.3%. However, Dayton does achieve a greater score margin average (+8.2) compared to UMass’ -0.1.
Another game that could potentially attract a keen audience will also take place on the same day, with the encounter of Duquesne vs La Salle also providing a potentially entertaining watch. The two teams are evenly matched this season in regard to how well they have performed in the standings. Both are trying to remain competitive and have been solid in terms of Atlantic 10 Conference clashes.
Duquesne has managed to achieve a record of 8-6 in the conference at this point, whereas La Salle has managed to get to 7-7 thus far. However, what might swing this match in favor of the former is the fact that their overall record is 18-9 (which is on par with Saint Louis, and Dayton) whereas La Salle is 13-14 on the year (the same as George Washington, and St Joesphs).
Predictions
Part of the fun about NCAAB action is that anything can happen on the basketball court, which is why it has become so difficult to try and predict what might happen. We have seen this in the past with the craziness that March Madness brings and conference basketball is no different.
Nonetheless, it is worth trying to make a prediction about what will happen…
- Saint Louis vs Richmond – Saint Louis win
- VCU vs Saint Josephs – VCU win
- St. Bonavent vs Davidson – Davidson win
- George Washington vs Rhode Island – George Washington win
- Dayton vs UMass – Dayton win
- Duquesne vs La Salle – Duquesne win
- Fordham vs Loyola IL – Fordham win
- Richmond vs VCU – VCU win
- Rhode Island vs Fordham – Fordham win
- La Selle vs George Washington – George Washington win
Of course, these are just some of our predictions about what might happen in the upcoming slate of Atlantic 10 Conference fixtures and there is no guarantee that any of them will come to fruition. It would be a shock, though, as many of them go with the better-performing team, but as we have already said, anything can happen given the madness of college basketball!
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