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Rhode Island vs George Washington Odds, Lines, and Spread

John Hyslop

by John Hyslop in College Basketball

Updated Feb 22, 2021 · 8:55 AM PST

Antwan Walker ball over head looking to pass
Rhode Island's Antwan Walker looks to pass during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Saint Louis Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
  • The Rhode Island Rams (10-12, 7-8 A-10) play the George Washington Colonials (3-9, 2-3 A-10) on Sunday
  • George Washington will be playing their first game in over a month due to COVID concerns 
  • See the odds, spread, analysis, and best bet below

Two of the best Conference USA teams will take the court when the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers head to Denton, Texas to take on the North Texas Mean Green.

The Colonials lead the all-time series 18-14 but it was the Rams winning the last one 82-51 last February. The current odds are showing Rhode Island as 9-point favorites in this matchup.

Rhode Island vs George Washington Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Rhode Island Rams -9 (-110) -450 Over 140 (-110)
George Washington Colonials +9 (-110) +350 Under 140 (-110)

Odds as of Feb 19th at FanDuel.

January 3rd was the last time the George Washington Colonials won a basketball game. Since then, the Colonials have lost two games and had 10 others postponed due to the COVID-19 virus.

Rhode Island is coming in with much better spirits after beating Dayton 91-89 last time out. It took two overtimes but the Rams outlasted the Flyers nonetheless.

Rhode Island Better Than Record

The Rams are coming into this game with a losing record but they are far from losers. They’re a gritty team that seems to be in every game, thanks to a tenacious defense that ranks 38th in the country in efficiency according to KenPom. Although, they showed more than just defensive prowess in their double-overtime win over Dayton last time out.

The game started with Dayton hitting everything as they normally do. The Flyers are 30th in the country in field goal percentage, hitting 47.6% of their shots. They took a 34-28 lead into the locker rooms at halftime but came out to a defensive buzzsaw in the second half. Fatts Russell led the way for the Rams with 20 points, five rebounds and seven assists.

George Washington Still Has Program

COVID-19 has absolutely ravaged the Colonials’ program this season to the point where students and fans may forget about the program. The last time they played was over a month ago when they were beaten by Dayton 67-54. The players have to be happy just to be playing again at this point and the fact it is nationally televised sweetens the pot a bit.

The tough part for the Colonials will actually be playing. Long layoff aside, when they were in action, they weren’t very good. KenPom has them ranked 208th in the nation sullied by a 281st-ranked defense. In their last action, they allowed Dayton to shoot 52% for the game including 45% from three-land which is high even for the Flyers.

Best Betting Angle

Rhode Island has not been too kind to bettors who back them when they are favored but that may change this time around. The last two times they were favored was by three against Dayton and 10 against UMass and failed to cover each time. They actually lost by double digits to UMass.

Those games could help Rams backers here because their number doesn’t seem too aggressive given the circumstances. Even on their best day, George Washington could never be confused with Dayton or UMass. Their defense is a sieve and should help out a team like Rhode Island who struggles to score at times. If the Rams are afforded easy buckets, it’s highly unlikely the Colonials will have the same success against the Rams’ defense. This one could get out of hand from the opening tip.

The pick: Rhode Island -9 (-110) 

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