LSU will face a major test in its second game when the No. 23 Tigers take on the Virginia Commonwealth Rams on Wednesday night. The Tigers will try to cut down on turnovers and build depth after a too-close-for-comfort 88-79 victory against Bowling Green in their opener. VCU is 2-0 and on the cusp of breaking into the Top 25 with a veteran lineup and has reached the NCAA Tournament eight of the last nine years. The Tigers reached the Sweet 16 last season, while the Rams were knocked out in the first round. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET at the Stuart Siegel Center. The Rams are 2.5-point home favorites in the latest LSU vs. VCU odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 142.5. Before making any VCU vs. LSU picks of your own, be sure to see the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has crushed its top-rated against-the-spread picks the past three years, returning $2,770 to $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, it has analyzed LSU vs. VCU. We can tell you it's leaning under, but it also says one side of the spread cashes in nearly 80 percent of simulations. This must-see pick is only available at SportsLine.
The model knows VCU went 25-8 last season and won the Atlantic 10 regular-season crown with a 16-2 mark. The Rams have five seniors who are a central part of their rotation, with senior guard Marcus Evans running the floor. Evans is averaging 12.5 points and 2.5 assists, and while his focus is on distributing the ball, he can make clutch shots. De'Riante Jenkins is averaging 14 points and was the team's top outside shooter last season.
The Rams are 9-4 against the spread in their last 13 games following a straight-up win, and their defense will provide a challenge for a Tigers team that turned the ball over 16 times in the opener. The Rams went from allowing 74.8 points per game in coach Mike Rhoades' first season to 61.9 last season (10th in the nation). Jenkins is a strong perimeter defender, and junior Marcus Santos-Silva plays bigger than his 6-foot-7 frame and has 25 rebounds, two blocks and three steals in the first two games.
But just because the Rams have veterans who play stout defense doesn't mean they will cover the VCU vs. LSU spread on Wednesday evening.
The Tigers are 9-2 against the spread in their last 11 road games and have plenty of talent back from a team that won the SEC regular-season title last season. Senior guard Skylar Mays is the top returning scorer after averaging 13.4 points a year ago. He had 18 points and eight rebounds in the opener. Emmitt Williams scored 21 and had seven rebounds, and Javonte Smart also had 21 points, making three of five three-point attempts.
LSU had another strong recruiting class, and those young players could help extend the Rams' 0-4 streak against the spread in home games. Five-star freshman forward Trendon Watford played 26 minutes against Bowling Green and scored 10 points and had eight rebounds. Talented freshman guards James Bishop and Charles Manning are expected to help bolster the team's depth.
So who wins LSU vs. VCU? And which side of the spread is hitting nearly 80 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the LSU vs. VCU spread to back on Wednesday night, all from the advanced model that has returned $2,770 on its top-rated college basketball picks the last three years.
