On Friday afternoon, the No. 12 seed VCU Rams and the No. 5 seed Saint Mary's Gaels square off in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. VCU has made the tournament in two of the last three years. The Rams haven't advanced past the first round since 2016. Meanwhile, Saint Mary's is playing in its second straight tournament. In 2022, the Gaels fell to UCLA in the second round.
Tipoff from MVP Arena in Albany is set for 2 p.m. ET. The Gaels are 4-point favorites in the latest VCU vs. Saint Mary's odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 123. Before locking in any Saint Mary's vs. VCU picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and March Madness betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on VCU vs. Saint Mary's and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for VCU vs. Saint Mary's:
- VCU vs. Saint Mary's spread: Gaels -4
- VCU vs. Saint Mary's over/under: 123 points
- VCU vs. Saint Mary's money line: Gaels -195, Rams +162
- SMC: Gaels are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight-up loss
- VCU: Rams are 4-0 ATS in their last four Friday games
- VCU vs. Saint Mary's picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Saint Mary's can cover
Freshman Aidan Mahaney is a skilled combo guard who owns a great feel for the game. Mahaney is very crafty with the ball and scores from all three levels. The California native averages 14.5 points and shoots 41% from beyond the arc. In the March 6 game versus BYU, he tallied 18 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Junior center Mitchell Saxen has been a nimble and efficient scorer in the low post. Saxen sets great screens and creates space with ease. The Washington native leads the squad in rebounds (7.8) and blocks (1.1) with 11.6 points per contest. He totaled eight double-doubles this campaign. On Feb. 16 against San Diego, Saxen amassed 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Why VCU can cover
Junior guard Adrian Baldwin Jr. is a superb playmaker and facilitator in the backcourt. Baldwin Jr. owns elite court vision and passing skills, leading the team in assists (5.9) to go with 12.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. The Maryland native has dished out at least six assists in seven of his last eight games. In his last outing against Dayton, he logged 16 points and seven assists.
Sophomore forward Jalen DeLoach has been a mobile and versatile player for the Rams. DeLoach can play multiple positions and be an active defender. The Georgia native averages 10 points, seven rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. On Mar. 12 against Dayton, DeLoach finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
How to make VCU vs. Saint Mary's picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 131 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits 60% of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins VCU vs. Saint Mary's? And which side hits 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
