The George Mason Patriots (26-7) and the VCU Rams (27-6) meet Sunday in the A-10 Tournament final at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (CBS). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s college basketball odds around the George Mason vs. VCU odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
The second-seeded Patriots defeated St. Joseph’s 74-64 as 1.5-point underdogs Saturday, with the Over (132) cashing. GMU is 2-0 straight up and against the spread (ATS) in the A-10 Tournament after finishing the season on an 0-6 ATS slide. The Over has hit in both tournament games as well.
The top-seeded Rams eased by Loyola-Chicago 62-55 Saturday but missed the cover as 9.5-point favorites, with the Under (137.5) cashing. VCU has won 11 of its last 12 games and is 8-2-2 ATS in the past 12 games, going 12-3-2 ATS in its previous 17 outings. The Under is 5-3 in the past 8 games.
VCU won the only regular-season meeting, defeating the Patriots 70-54 as an 11-point favorite in Richmond Feb. 22, with the Under (130) hitting. F Jalen Haynes of GMU had 10 points and 8 rebounds, while G Max Shulga led all scorers with 22 points, including four 3-pointers and an 8-for-8 night at the free-throw line.
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George Mason vs. VCU odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:20 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): George Mason +310 (bet $100 to win $310) | VCU -400 (bet $400 to win $100)
- Against the spread: George Mason +8.5 (-110) | VCU -8.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 127.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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George Mason vs. VCU picks and predictions
Prediction
VCU 66, George Mason 59
Moneyline
VCU (-400) will cost you 4 times your potential return, which is too much risk for not nearly enough reward in this A-10 title game.
While the Rams won by 16 in the only previous meeting this season, that was also in Richmond, not on a neutral floor. This game will be played closer to George Mason’s (+310) campus, although both schools should have decent representation.
The Patriots won as underdogs against St. Joe’s and are on a 4-game win streak. However, it’s hard to overlook that 16-point loss at VCU in late February.
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Against the spread
GEORGE MASON +8.5 (-110) is worth considering in this title game, as this is a lot of points.
The Patriots have lost 5 straight meetings against the Rams, with VCU covering the last 3 in the series. However, this is the first time they are meeting in the A-10 title game, and the Patriots should be able to keep it within 4 buckets. They’re playing great basketball since that wake-up call at VCU.
Over/Under
UNDER 127.5 (-110) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at most.
The Under cashed Feb. 22 in the only regular-season meeting, and the total has gone low in each of the last 3 meetings in this series.
For GMU, the total went Over in each of the first 2 tournament games, but the O/U has split 4-4 in the last 8 outings.
The O/U has split in both tournament games for VCU, while the Under is 5-3 in the last 8 outings.
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