In a potentially underrated game on opening night, the Bellarmine Knights will travel to the Siegel Center to take on the VCU Rams.
Bellarmine’s four-year transition period to Division I is complete, which means the Knights are eligible to compete in the NCAA Tournament (or NIT) for the first time.
On the flip side, the Rams finished fourth in the Atlantic 10 regular-season standings last season before losing to Duquesne in the final of the A-10 Tournament. They failed to reach the NCAA Tournament via an at-large bid and lost in the quarterfinals of the NIT to Utah.
The Rams are favored in this game by 21 points on the spread. The total is set at 137 points.
Here’s my Bellarmine vs. VCU predictions and my college basketball picks for Monday.
Bellarmine vs VCU Prediction
My pick: Bellarmine +21.5
My Bellarmine vs VCU best bet is on the Knights spread, with the best odds currently available at BetRivers. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Bellarmine vs VCU Odds, Spread, Pick
| Bellarmine Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+21.5 -110 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | +1550 |
| VCU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-21.5 -110 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | -4000 |
- Bellarmine vs VCU spread: VCU -21.5
- Bellarmine vs VCU total: 141.5 points
- Bellarmine vs VCU moneyline: VCU -4000, Bellarmine +1550
- Bellarmine vs VCU best bet: Bellarmine +21.5
Spread
I'm targeting the Knights on the spread.
Moneyline
I'm passing on the moneyline, which is not available at the time of writing.
Over/Under
I'm passing on the total, as well.
My pick: Bellarmine +21.5 (Play to +19.5)
Bellarmine vs VCU Betting Trends to Know
- 98% of the bets and 99% of the money is on Bellarmine to cover the spread.
Bellarmine vs VCU Start Time, Channel, Streaming
| Location: | Siegel Center, Richmond, VA |
| Date: | Monday, November 4 |
| Start Time: | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN+ |
Bellarmine vs VCU is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET start time, live from the Siegel Center in Richmond, VA, on Monday. The game is live on ESPN+.
Bellarmine vs VCU College Basketball Betting Preview
Bellarmine Basketball
Scott Davenport’s Knights had a rough go of it last year, finishing with just eight wins. Three of their victories came against non-Division I teams, and 10 straight losses from mid-December to late January became the icing on the cake for a poor campaign.
It’s hard to blame everything on injuries, but the Knights were down to six scholarship players at the beginning of ASUN play. Fast forward to this season, and their injury luck is expected to revert to the mean.
While four starters departed, the Knights have Ben Johnson — the team’s second-leading scorer last season — back in uniform. Johnson averaged 13.9 points and shot 38% from 3-point land, which means he should be Bellarmine’s go-to option on the offensive end.
Most importantly, Bellarmine is well-coached. Despite the story of last season, the Knights only turned the ball over 9.7 times per game, which ranked 24th in the nation. They take care of the ball and get good shots up, and that’s good news when you’re playing at the Siegel Center.
VCU Basketball
On the other side, the Rams are considered one of the favorites to win the Atlantic 10, and the reason why is because of their elite backcourt.
We’ll start with Max Shulga, who’s up there with Robbie Avila as an Atlantic 10 Player of the Year frontrunner. Shulga originally committed to Villanova this offseason before opting to return to Ryan Odom’s squad.
That gives the Rams a clear-cut leader, but it doesn’t end there in the backcourt.
Zeb Jackson, formerly of Michigan, provides speed, defensive toughness and another ball handler. Joe Bamisile is athlete and has worked on his physicality and decision-making. And Phillip Russell, a grad transfer from UT Arlington, was the WAC Sixth Man of the Year last season.
The problem for VCU lies in the frontcourt. Sure, it has Clemson’s Jack Clark — who can step out and shoot from the perimeter — but the rest of the bigs are greatly inexperienced.
Bellarmine vs VCU Betting Analysis
There’s a couple of things working against the Knights in this one:
- Bellarmine has some level of continuity, but it is working back players who suffered injuries last season and have others stepping into larger roles with four starters gone. That means it’s going to take some time for Davenport and company to compete at their highest level.
- The Rams’ weakness (its frontcourt) can’t be exploited by the Knights. Bellarmine has one player above 6-foot-8 and he’s a freshman.
- The Knights have no one who can successfully contain Shulga, and that’s bad news.
Even then, as I mentioned above, Bellarmine is well-coached and shouldn’t be phased by playing at the Siegel Center. Plus, I expect it to have a bounce-back season, especially considering the added motivation of newfound NCAA Tournament eligibility.
Most importantly, this is just too many points. Bellarmine is being undervalued because of its win total last year. It’ll limit turnovers in this game and injuries won’t be an issue. I’m not saying the Knights will win — or even come within single digits — but this is way too many points.
