Atlantic 10 Semifinals Betting Preview: VCU vs. Saint Louis & Dayton vs. Fordham

It’s been mostly chalk in Brooklyn for the Atlantic 10 Tournament this week, but it means we are in store for a pair of must-watch matchups in the Barclays Center on Saturday afternoon. To prepare you for this weekend’s action, we look at each game and how you can find value in the matchups.#4 Saint Louis vs. #1 VCU Game Information

• Location: Barclays Center | Brooklyn, NY
• Time: 1:00 p.m. ET | TV: CBS Sports Network

This game will have two of the top playmaking point guards in all of college basketball. Saint Louis’s Yuri Collins ranks number one in the nation in assist rate and is blowing away the competition. The senior is averaging 10.1 assists, a far reach from Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, who sits in second at 7.9 per contest.

Collins is a showstopper with his passing ability and will undoubtedly slice up VCU in this one. But VCU was able to stifle Collins in their second regular-season meeting on February 28. The Saint Louis, Missouri native was held to just eight assists and committed eight turnovers in the defeat for the Billikens.

The Rams have their own on-ball stud in Adrian Baldwin, who sits 30th nationally in assist rate. He is also feisty on the defensive end, ranking third in the Atlantic 10 in steal percentage.

This should be an enticing matchup of two of the best guards in the league and the nation. The Rams were able to handle the Billikens in each of their two regular-season meetings, but Collins might be the only player in the league that could pick apart VCU’s 16th-ranked defense in the country.

Back Saint Louis and take the points at a neutral site.

• Location: Barclays Center | Brooklyn, NY
• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET | TV: CBS Sports Network

What a turnaround for Fordham, as they are in their first semifinal in 17 years under first-year head coach Keith Urgo. The program has long been the armpit of the Atlantic 10 but is now seeking its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1992.

Khalid Moore and Darius Quisenberry provide a stellar high-low duo that leads the Rams. They take over 40 percent of the team’s shots on average and are the offense’s focal point. But Fordham finds its pride on the defensive end, where they have the second-best unit in the conference. It was on display in the quarterfinals, where they held La Salle to just 0.85 points per possession in their victory.

The Dayton Flyers showcase exceptional talent between DaRon Holmes, Toumani Camara, and Malachi Smith. But they continued to suffer puzzling losses throughout the season, making them a bit problematic.

The Rams feel like the play here, especially when they open as sizable dogs.

With March upon us, stay up to date with all your college hoops news and odds analysis on SportsGrid.com, with previews for all Power 6 conference tournaments upcoming.