The Rhode Island Rams will look to pick up a win while covering the spread when they take on the Gaels in St. Mary's at McKeon Pavilion on Thursday in college basketball action.

The Gaels are 8-3 so far on the season, and 5-4 ATS vs. the number. The Rams, meanwhile, are 4-7 and 5-4 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen St. Mary's go 4-2 and the Rams go 1-2-1 on the totals.



View Rhode Island vs St Marys Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as 16.5-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark, including Sportsbook. The total was set to open a bit later (check out Sportsbook for the latest situation(.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Gaels - Rams odds would favor the Gaels if the lines were set according to our power ranks. St. Mary's is rated No. 121 in the current Odds Shark poll, while Rhode Island is at No. 141. Mathematical models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 82-66 win for the Gaels.



How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Rams is ranked No. 249 in NCAA hoops at 33.4 per game. Contrast that with St. Mary's’s No. 130 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, St. Mary's is the No. 8-ranked team in the country at 9.1 per game, while Rhode Island rates No. 122 at 6.6 per game.

Defensively, Rhode Island features the nation's No. 130-rated defense on the road, allowing 68.2 points per game. St. Mary's, meanwhile, comes in at No. 12 nationally in scoring at home.

In their last action, Rhode Island was a 65-60 Sportsbook at home against Georgia State. They failed to cover the 6-point spread as favorites. The Rams grabbed a 65-60 win over the Panthers on Saturday, behind a 22-point effort from Nikola Malesevic at Thomas Ryan Center.

In their last action, St. Mary's was an 82-75 loser on the road against Northern Iowa. They failed to cover the 2-point spread as favorites. Jorden Page went off for 26 points and added 2 rebounds but it wasn't enough as Northern Iowa handed St. Mary's an 82-75 defeat at BJCC Arena.


Rhode Island Rams Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 1-9
Before playing Brown are 4-6
After playing Georgia State are 0-1
After a win are 3-7

St. Mary's Gaels Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Yale are 1-0
After playing Northern Iowa are 0-1
After a loss are 7-3

A few Rams at Gaels trends to consider:
Rhode Island is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
St. Mary's is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
St. Mary's is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games


Next up:
Rhode Island home to Brown, Friday, January 4
St. Mary's home to Yale, Sunday, December 30