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Boston U vs American Odds, Lines and Spread (Jan. 10)

Jack Magruder

by Jack Magruder in College Basketball

Updated Jan 10, 2022 · 12:30 AM PST

Walter Whyte
Boston University's Walter Whyte celebrates with head coach Joe Jones after winning the NCAA Patriot League Conference basketball championship over Colgate at Cotterell Court, Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in Hamilton, N.Y. (AP Photo/John Munson)
  • Boston U is a 7.5-point favorite at American on Monday
  • American has lost nine of its last 11
  • Read below for analysis and a betting prediction

Boston U (10-6, 1-2 Patriot) is a 7.5-point road favorite against American in a Patriot League game at 7 pm ET Monday in Washington, D.C. The Terriers, the preseason league favorite, have lost three of their last four and are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five.

American (4-9, 0-1) has played only twice since a 72-66 road victory over Mount St. Mary’s on Dec. 11 because of a holiday break and Covid issues in the program. Conference games against Lafayette and Colgate last week were postponed.

Boston vs American Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
Boston Terriers -350 -7.5 (-110) Over 134.5(-110)
American Eagles +280 +7.5 (-110) Under 134.5 (-110)

Odds from BetMGM on Jan. 9

 

The Real McCoy

Boston U senior guard 6’5 Javante McCoy was named the preseason Patriot League Player of the Year in a vote of league coaches and sports information directors. and Terrier forward 6’6 Walter Whyte also was named to the first team. McCoy was second-team All-Patriot League last season and third team in 2020.

McCoy, who is averaging a career-high 16.7 points with 3.4 rebounds per game, had 15 points and tied a season high with four 3-pointers in a 65-58 home loss to Loyola on Friday.

McCoy is shooting 50 percent from the field and 49.3 percent from distance (34 of 69), giving him an effective field goal percentage of 59.0. He ranks fifth in NCAA Division I in three-point field goal percentage.

BU Struggles on the Glass

The Terriers have been out-rebounded significantly in their last two games, league losses to Navy (KenPom 123) and Loyola (KenPom 253), and they have lost the battle of the boards in three of their last five despite owning a plus-4.5 rebound margin on the season.

Navy had a 37-22 rebounding advantage in an 83-71 home victory on Jan. 4, and the Midshipmen had almost as many rebounds off their missed shots (14) as Boston (16) had. Loyola had a 39-30 edge on the glass in their 65-58 win.

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Graduate student center 6’10 Sukmail Mathon leads the league with an average of 9.7 rebounds per game, almost two more than No. 2 Neil Quinn of Lafayette. Mathon is sturdy under the basket but is not particularly agile or mobile, and he has not received much recent help, either.

Mathon had eight rebounds and Whyte had six against Navy, but no other Terrier had more than two. Mathon, Whyte and McCoy had six rebounds apiece against Loyola, which also broke down the Terriers’ interior defense with repeated penetration and finishes at the rim.

The Terriers should not receive as much resistance on the glass from American, which has a minus-4.2 rebound margin, 308th in Division I. American was even with Lehigh (KenPom 329) on the boards in their 63-61 home loss to the Mountain Hawks their last time out on Jan. 1, when the Eagles missed a driving shot at the buzzer.

Eagles Grounded

American recovered from a seven-game losing streak that included blowouts to D.C. cronies Georgetown and Howard to put together a two-game winning streak in the second week of December, but it has lost its last two in a schedule disrupted by the Covid virus.

Veteran senior guard 6’4 Stacy Beckton, a two-time member of the league All-Defensive Team, leads the Eagles’ balanced scoring attack at 13.3 points per game, and three sophomores are averaging between 9.6 and 10.2 points per.

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Sophomore 6’9 Johnny O’Neil, the 2021 league Rookie of the Year is averaging 10.2 points and a team-high 5.2 rebounds.

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The Eagles tied a team-high with 10 three-pointers (in 15 attempts) in an 83-73 victory over St. Francis Pa. on Dec. 8, when O’Neil was 5 of 5 from distance, but that game is an outlier for a team that is averaging 5.5 threes per game, 319th in Division I.

Freshman guard 5’9 Elijah Stephens had a season-high 18 points in his first start in the loss to Lehigh and was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week.

By the Numbers

Boston U is 10-8 in the season series and won the last meeting 64-60 at home on Feb. 23, 2020, a game the Eagles led by 18 late in the first half. American won the previous five games.

The Terriers are 197th in KenPom adjusted efficiency margin, having dropped 45 spots since during their current two-game losing streak. American is ranked 328th, one spot ahead of Lehigh, which beat the Eagles on Jan. 1.

Boston has hit a speed bump, going 0-4-1 ATS in its last five, and American has won five of the last six in the series.

The pick: American +7.5 (-110)

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