Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks vs VCU Rams Point Spread Picks

No. 5 seed VCU has it all going, a hot group winning 18 of 23, and exceptional balance, which are huge plusses this time of the year. The Rams are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 NCAA Tournament games.  VCU is the No. 1 offensive team in the A-10 with 75 points per game, plus the defense is third in points allowed (66.4 points per game), fourth in field goal defense allowing 42%, and tops in three-point D allowing 27.2% for Shaka Smart. They play ferocious defense and play a physical game, getting to the free throw line often with a 1-2 punch of 6-6 junior Trevon Graham (15.6 points per game, 7 rebounds per game) and 6-9, 250-lb senior Juvonta Reddic (12.4 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game). They take on a Stephen A. Austin team that is not big up front, with 6-6, 201-lb Jacob Parker and a 6-4 sophomore as their top rebounders. They've only lost two games, but one was a step-up contest against Texas, losing by 10 while shooting 38% and getting outrebounded 41-26. The Lumberjacks are 1-4 ATS in their last five neutral site games, so grab the short chalk. Take VCU.