Loyola Chicago vs. Richmond Prediction, Odds for A-10 Championship 1st Round

Loyola Chicago had a disappointing season to say the least, finishing in last place in the Atlantic-10 with a 4-14 conference record. The good news is, the beauty of college basketball allows a team to wipe their record clean if they're able to get hot and win the conference tournament.

Both Loyola Chicago and Richmond will attempt to take the first step in pulling off a Cinderella run when they face each other in the first round of the A-10 tournament on Wednesday.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this game.

Loyola Chicago vs. Richmond Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

Loyola Chicago +4.5 (-102)
Richmond -4.5 (-120)

Moneyline

Loyola Chicago +160
Richmond -196

Total

OVER 143.5 (-110)
UNDER 143.5 (-110)

Loyola Chicago vs. Richmond How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, March 11
Game Time: 2:00 pm ET
Venue: PPG Paints Arena
How to Watch (TV): USA Network
Santa Clara Record: 26-7 (15-3 in WCC)
Gonzaga Record: 29-3 (16-2 in WCC)

Loyola Chicago vs. Richmond Betting Trends

Loyola Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last five games
The UNDER is 6-0 in Loyola Chicago's last six games
The UNDER is 11-4 in Richmond's last 15 games
Richmond has lost eight straight games in the month of March

Loyola Chicago vs. Richmond Key Player to Watch

AJ Lopez, G - Richmond Spiders

AJ Lopez is Richmond's leading scorer, averaging 13.6 points per game. He's shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.6% from three-point range, so Loyola Chicago will have to find a way to slow down his shooting if the Ramblers want to pull off the upset.

Loyola Chicago vs. Richmond Prediction and Pick

I'm going to lay the points with the Spiders in this one.

Loyola Chicago is horrific on the defensive side of the court, ranking 325th in defensive efficiency. That's bad news against a Richmond team that shoots better than you'd expect based on their record. The Spiders are 118th in effective field goal percentage entering the tournament.

It's also worth noting that 47.6% of Loyola's shots come from three-point range, the 29th-highest rate in the country. They'll now have to try to solve a Richmond defense that allows teams to shoot just 32.5% from three-point range.

The signs are there that backing Richmond to cover this spread is the bet to make.

Pick: Richmond -4.5 (-120)

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!