@SidekicksPicks College Basketball Play of the Day - 3/9

The first round of the A10 tips off today with Duquesne University playing the Rhode Island Rams. Duquesne is a bottom feeder of the A10 with 1 conference win against UMASS on January 8th. Since then, the Dukes have lost 16 straight games. They are currently 6-23 overall, 1-16 conference.

The Rhode Island Rams have had an up and down season, where they looked to be a top half of the conference team, especially at home. In the middle of the season, things took a bad turn for the Rams and they have been losing games that they should definitely be winning. The Rams are 14-15 overall, 5-12 in conference. The last time these two teams faced off, Rhode Island won convincingly, 70-54.

• Dukes are 1-7 ats in their last 8 Wednesday games
• Dukes are 1-6 ats in their last 7 games vs a team with a losing record
• Dukes are 3-14 ats in their last 17 games following a loss
• Dukes are 6-14 in their last 20 games vs Rhode Island
• Rams are 11-4 in their last 15 Wednesday games
• Rams are 1-5 ats in their last 6 games

Even though this isn’t an exciting game and Rhode Island has had a disappointing team, the Rams have some good talent on their roster. The Mitchell Twins will host a matchup dilemma for the Dukes today and Sheppard can shoot from anywhere on the floor. This Rhode Island team thrives on the defensive side of the ball and should cause issues for Duquesne!

The Rice Owls will face off against the Charlotte 49ers in the Conference USA tournament today. Rice is 15-15 overall this season, 7-11 in conference. They finished the season 5th in the Group B division. Rice has lost their last 2 games and are 1-6 in their last 7 games. They do hold 2 quality wins against UAB and Middle Tennessee this season, but that was early on. Last time they faced Charlotte, the 49ers won 67-64.

Charlotte holds a 17-13 overall record, 10-8 in conference. They placed 4th in Group A of Conference USA. The 49ers have won 2 straight and have won 4 of their last 5 games. They also have a quality win over Middle Tennessee and played Wake Forest in a tight game.

• Owls are 1-5 ats in their last 6 neutral site games as an underdog
• Owls are 1-4 ats in their last 5 games following a loss
• Owls are 2-6 ats in their last 8 games
• Owls are 3-8 in their last 11 Wednesday games
• 49ers are 5-2 ats in their last 7 Wednesday games
• 49ers are 9-1 in their last 10 games as the favorite

The 49ers are playing their best basketball right now and I think it carries over to today’s game. They are better defensively and have higher field goal and 3 point percentages. The 49ers also limit their turnovers and create more turnovers. I think they have enough to pass a struggling Rice team.