The George Washington Colonials take on the Saint Louis Billikens in St. Louis, Missouri. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Saint Louis is favored with a price of 85 cents to win and the total set at 167.5 points on Fanatics Markets.
Here’s my George Washington vs. Saint Louis prediction and college basketball picks for January 27, 2026.
George Washington vs Saint Louis Prediction
My Pick: Over 167.5 (Play to 168.5)
My George Washington vs Saint Louis best bet is on the over. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
George Washington vs. Saint Louis Odds
(If you're unfamiliar with Fanatics Markets, read more here.)
George Washington vs Saint Louis College Basketball Betting Preview
George Washington Basketball
The Revolutionaries are 13-7 on the season and 4-3 in Atlantic 10 play. Chris Caputo’s group is in the mix near the top of the league, yet it's come up short in opportunities against the tougher teams on its schedule. George Washington has lost five straight games against KenPom top-100 opponents.
George Washington checks in 71st on KenPom, with the 45th-ranked offense and 144th-ranked defense. Riding one of, if not the best player in the Atlantic 10 in big man Rafael Castro, this team wants to punish opponents on the interior and knock down kick-out 3s when the defense collapses.
The Revolutionaries rank inside the top 50 nationally in both 2-point and 3-point percentage, as well as 44th in offensive rebounding rate. Nearly half of their field goal attempts in league play come from behind the arc.
Surrounding the dominant Castro with shooting makes this team difficult to guard. Guards Tre Dinkins and Trey Autry are both shooting above 41% from deep on a combined 93 made 3s.
Defensively, this group has improved over the past month. Through seven games of league play, this is the fourth-best defense in the conference and third-best at forcing turnovers.
Saint Louis Basketball
Josh Schertz has things rolling in year two at Saint Louis, as the Billikens are 19-1 and looking like the best mid-major team in college basketball.
Saint Louis ranks first in the country in effective field goal percentage on both offense and defense, which is patently absurd. This team plays a beautiful brand of unselfish basketball and is one of the most fun watches in the sport.
Big man Robbie Avila is the heart and soul of the team, leading the Billikens with 12.7 points per game while triggering much of their offensive action. He also leads the team with four assists per game.
The supporting cast is incredibly balanced. Seven players are averaging between 7.7 and 11.4 points per game. Saint Louis is shooting over 40% from 3 as a team and has the shortest average 2-point attempt distance in the nation.
Defense is where this team has truly separated itself. In Schertz’s first year at Saint Louis, and with his 32-win Indiana State team in 2024, his defenses ranked outside the top 110.
This season, the Billikens rank 23rd nationally in defensive efficiency and top-25 in defensive rebounding rate.
George Washington vs. Saint Louis Betting Analysis
George Washington hasn't lost a game by more than 12 points all season, which surprisingly came at the hands of a Delaware team ranked 299th on KenPom. The Revolutionaries lost by just five and seven on the road at Dayton and George Mason, respectively, and by 10 to Florida on a neutral floor.
It's a big spread to lay for the Billikens, but this team is extremely difficult to fade right now.
It's also worth noting that George Washington beat Saint Louis 67-61 last season, and the Billikens had no answer for Castro, who finished with 21 points and nine rebounds on 9-of-11 shooting.
Even though Saint Louis grades out much better defensively this season, Castro is the best big man Schertz’s group has seen in a while, and he should still be able to get his.
I'm looking to make a play on the total in this spot, as I expect both teams to find success scoring in a fast-paced environment.
My Pick: Over 167.5 (Play to 168.5)
