Rhode Island vs. St. Bonaventure Prediction, Odds for College Basketball on Thursday, Feb. 26

An interesting matchup in the A-10 begins the evening in college basketball on Thursday, Feb. 26, as the Rhode Island Rams hit the road to play a struggling St. Bonaventure squad.

The Bonnies are just one game over .500 this season and have dropped three games in a row, falling to 3-11 in A-10 play. Only the Loyola Chicago Ramblers have a worse record in A-10 action this season, but the Bonnies are favored in their first and only meeting with the Rams in the 2025-26 campaign.

Rhode Island has been a tough team to figure out, as it’s just 6-8 in A-10 play but upset a ranked Saint Louis team last week. The Rams followed that up by scoring just 46 points in a loss to La Salle, and they’re just 15-12 overall in the 2025-26 campaign.

The Rams are 4-5 on the road this season, but they’ve lost three road games in a row. Even though this team has beaten some of the best teams in the conference (Saint Louis, Dayton, George Mason), Rhode Island sits at just No. 123 in KenPom’s latest rankings.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, a player to watch and my prediction for this early evening battle between two teams that’ll need to win the A-10 tournament if they want to make the NCAA Tournament this March.

Rhode Island vs. St. Bonaventure Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Rhode Island +2.5 (-110)
St. Bonaventure -2.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Rhode Island: +130
St. Bonaventure: -155

Total

144.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Rhode Island vs. St. Bonaventure How to Watch

Date: Thursday, Feb. 26
Time: 5:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Reilly Center
How to Watch (TV): ESPN+
Rhode Island record: 15-12
St. Bonaventure record: 14-13

Rhode Island vs. St. Bonaventure Key Player to Watch

Darryl Simmons II, Guard, St. Bonaventure

The Bonnies may be one of the worst teams in the A-10 this season, but they do have one of the best guards in the conference.

Simmons, a junior, is averaging an impressive 16.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this season while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from beyond the arc. The star guard has picked up right where he left off when he averaged over 17 points per game for Gardner-Webb in the 2024-25 season.

At home, Simmons is shooting even better this season (45.0 percent from the field, 44.3 percent from 3) while averaging 17.3 points per game. URI is going to need to slow him down if it wants to pull off an upset on Thursday evening.

Rhode Island vs. St. Bonaventure Prediction and Pick

Even though Rhode Island’s offense has sputtered at times in A-10 play, I love the fact that we’re getting points with the Rams in this matchup.

St. Bonaventure has struggled in A-10 play for a reason, as it ranks 252nd in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency. While the Bonnies are No. 100 in KenPom’s offensive rating, they’re now taking on a URI team that is 74th in defensive rating this season.

The Rams don’t shoot the ball very well – they rank 195th in effective field goal percentage – but they should get some great looks against a St. Bonaventure team that is 295th in the country in opponent effective field goal percentage.

The way the Bonnies could win this game is from beyond the arc, as they are 31st in the country in 3-point percentage and opponents are shooting 36.0 percent from deep against the Rams.

However, St. Bonaventure has lost five of its last six games and has a terrible 2-11 against the spread record at home. The Rams are the better team – even after their latest loss – and I expect them to at least keep this game close on Thursday night.

Pick: Rhode Island +2.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and win your first $5 bet to get $200 in bonus bets instantly.