George Mason vs George Washington Odds, Lines, and Spread (Jan. 17)

Odds as of January 16th, 2022 at FanDuel

Kim English’s team never trailed by more than 12 in the nine-point loss to the Jayhawks. Senior guard D’Shawn Schwartz had 15 points and 12 rebounds, while junior backcourt mate Davonte Gaines also chipped in 15. The team’s leading scorer, junior forward Josh Oduro, was held five points below his average with 12 points.

Meantime, Jamion Christian’s club found itself down by 20 points at the half and the Rams eventually defeated the Colonials by 27. GWU’s leading scorer, junior guard James Bishop, finished with 16, while sophomore guard Joe Bamisile added 11.

Patriot Way

The game against KU was a late add for GMU after TCU had to bow out of its scheduled Big 12 opener and the Patriots had four straight games canceled or postponed. The A-10 program acquitted itself well against one of the sport’s blue bloods.

LFG!!! @devoncooper35 | #RockWithUs pic.twitter.com/deAV3r5IeD

— George Mason Men's Basketball (@MasonMBB) January 1, 2022

Head coach English, who went 2-5 against Kansas during his playing career at Missouri, said the game would help the Patriots in league play. Now, in a short road game on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in the nation’s capital, his team has a chance to prove him right.

George Mason’s competitive play against KU should come as no surprise: the Patriots won at No. 20 Maryland in November and at Georgia in December. The mid-major also played Washington close at the Crossover Classic.

The big question against GWU will be how GMU handles the long layoff. It appears the Patriots are the more talented team than the Colonials, owning a much higher rating (126th vs. 277th) by KenPom. Now, Oduro and Co. have to prove it.

Colonial Style

George Washington was limited to just 22 points in the first half against VCU — while committing 13 turnovers in the first 20 minutes — and Christian’s group was never able to recover.

1️⃣ (13:05) | @yoobrayyy all the way to the rim. #RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/6ef72RbPmy

— GW Men's Basketball (@GW_MBB) January 12, 2022

Bishop and Bamisile combine to average over 29 points and eight rebounds per game. After that though, there’s a bit of a drop-off offensively. One player to keep an eye on Monday is senior forward Ricky Lindo. The Beltway native is averaging 8.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

Like the Patriots, the Colonials have tested themselves this year. But unlike GMU, GWU has come up short time and again. This group has played four top-100 teams according to KenPom (Maryland, Missouri State, Dayton and VCU) and lost to them all.

This team is extremely offensively-challenged, only scoring north of 70 points four times this season. The Colonials are rated in the 300s (out of 358 Division I programs) in numerous offensive categories, including offensive adjusted efficiency (317th) and offensive effective field goal percentage (303rd).

The Pick

With four players averaging in double-figures — led by Oduro’s 17 a game — George Mason seems up to the challenge of this road contest. Yes, the Pats might be shaky due to some rust. But GWU is simply an inferior team.

The Colonials may end up developing into a solid bunch as A-10 play continues. But right now, GMU is the better team — and my pick.

Pick: George Mason -6 (-110)