Free Pick | NCAA Hoops | Sat. | Jan. 7

Free Pick #641 Rhode Island +1.5 over La Salle 1:00 PM CT

Rhode Island is having a difficult season at just 5-9 but the Rams picked up an A-10 win Wednesday and could be a threat for another win at LaSalle on Saturday. The shooting numbers for Rhode Island are poor but this is a good 3-point defense with a solid defensive profile overall in an expected rebuilding season under former high-profile head coach Archie Miller who had great success at Dayton before a forgettable run at Indiana. Rhode Island does not have a road win this season but there haven’t been that many opportunities and all three road losses have been close games including a non-conference miss at Boston College and the A-10 opener at Duquesne. LaSalle has lost its last two home games while scoring just 58 and 64 points vs. teams outside the nation’s top 150. In an anticipated A-10 opener on Christmas Eve the Explorers lost by double-digits and in going 6-8 this season LaSalle has one top 200 win in regulation this season. This is also a transition season for the Explorers with former Temple coach Fran Dunphy leading the way and this is a very small group that struggles to get high percentage shots, shooting just 46 percent on 2-point looks this season. 3-point defense has been a weak spot and Rhode Island looks likely to have a significant edge at the free throw line in this pairing. Expect Rhode Island to also have an edge on the offensive glass and while it may not look like a great deal separates these teams, the potential for Rhode Island looks stronger in this matchup and in the A-10 season despite the marginal start to the season.