Game Information
Saint Louis Billikens (17-13, 10-7 Atlantic 10) vs Duquesne Dukes (13-17, 8-9 Atlantic 10)
Time: 7pm CST Saturday
How to watch: FanDuel Sports Network
DraftKings Odds
Spread: SLU -5.5
Total: 138.5
KenPom projection: SLU 71, Duquesne 66
Billikens, Dukes Play Regular Season Finale
The Saint Louis University Billikens wrap up their regular season when they host the Duquesne Dukes tonight at Chaifetz Arena.
The Billikens head into the day with a very slim chance to secure a double-bye in next week’s Atlantic 10 Tournament after a disappointing 75-67 loss at Dayton this past Tuesday. SLU needs to win tonight and have both Loyola and St. Joseph’s lose this afternoon to get the #4 seed.
Billikens Need To Take Care Of Ball
The Billikens’ defense should be able to perform well in this one, as Duquesne ranks second worst in the A10 averaging just 68.8 points scored per game.
But SLU’s offense will be tested in this one. SLU has turned the ball over on 19.3% of its possessions in conference play, which is a higher rate than any team in the A10 outside of George Mason. The Dukes force turnovers on 20.4% of their opponents’ possessions in A10 play, which is the highest mark of any team in the league.
Dukes Subpar On Offense
One reason the Dukes don’t score a ton is they play at a slow pace. Duquesne’s tempo ranks 294th out of 364 teams in Division One according to KenPom.
They also miss out on a lot of points at the free throw line. Duquesne shoots just 65% from the stripe, which is worst in the A10 and 355th in the country.
My Lean
In what’s been a season of unders in SLU games, I’ll lean with the under one more time in this one. The under is 21-7 in SLU’s games against Division One opponents this season. Taking the under has also been a profitable venture in Duquesne games this season with a record of 17-12.
I won’t be betting this game personally though. I do think there is some unknown here with what the Billikens’ motivation will be. If they are eliminated from double-bye contention before tipoff, I think there’s a chance we see the bench players a little more than we usually would under normal circumstances.
Lean: Under 138.5 at -108 on DraftKings
Eric Sontag hosts Domesticated Gamblers every Friday on the Sports Hub STL YouTube channel. Click here for his daily picks on all of our St. Louis area sports teams. Disclaimer