The St. Joseph’s Hawks (11-18) face the La Salle Explorers (10-18) Wednesday in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Tip-off from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., is at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we look at the St. Joseph’s vs. La Salle odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
The Hawks worked over Rhode Island 70-60 as 2-point underdogs in their regular-season finale to finish on a high note after dropping the previous seven games. That losing streak included a 49-48 loss at La Salle last Wednesday.
The Explorers won just 10 games this season but they enter this tourney on a 3-0 SU/ATS run since Feb. 26, which includes that win over St. Joe’s. La Salle swept its Philadelphia rivals as it topped the St. Joseph’s 75-64 on the road Jan. 17 as a 7-point ‘dog.
See also: Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports
St. Joseph’s vs. La Salle odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:30 a.m. ET.
- Money line: St. Joseph’s -140 (bet $140 to win $100) | La Salle +115 (bet $100 to win $115)
- Against the spread (ATS): St. Joseph’s -2.5 (-107) | La Salle +2.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 134.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
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St. Joseph’s vs. La Salle odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
La Salle 68, St. Joseph’s 64
Money line
LA SALLE (+115) swept the regular-season series, and it enters on a three-game win and cover streak. It’s uncertain what the books are seeing, but the Explorers should be the team favored here. The public is also rolling with St. Joseph’s at nearly a 2-to-1 clip, and that’s usually always the kiss of death. Back the Explorers.
Against the spread
LA SALLE +2.5 (-115) is worth playing if you’re just not feeling them straight up and feel that the rubber match will be a close game like last Wednesday that was decided by 1 point. However, I like the Explorers to win this one outright as they have just had the number of the Hawks.
Over/Under
The UNDER 134.5 (-108) is the best play here.
These teams combined for just 97 total points in last week’s meeting at La Salle, coming nowhere near the 140.5 total. The Under has cashed in the previous three meetings, too. Look for these teams to get off to a slow start in this Wednesday matinee.
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