Free Pick | NCAA | Wednesday | Feb. 14

Nelly’s is 14-7 the past 10 days in basketball – check out our 2-for-1 offer tonight or play for the rest of February! We’ve won in February 16 of the past 20 seasons!

#695 St. Joseph’s +4 over Loyola-Chicago 7:00 PM CT

St. Joseph’s is 6-5 in A-10 play and grades as the second best offensive team in the conference, only trailing Dayton. The Hawks are only 6-5 in league play, but they started 0-3, and have won six of the past eight with the losses coming against St. Bonaventure and Dayton, two of the top teams in the conference. St. Joseph’s is one of the better shooting teams in the nation and while the defense has limitations, this is a team with four top 100 wins on the season including an early season win at Villanova. St. Joseph’s has five wins away from home this season and will be looking to even the series with Loyola Chicago following a 78-75 loss hosting the Ramblers in January. That game got away from the Hawks who led by nine with just over six minutes remaining. Loyola Chicago is 9-2 in conference play but has lost three home games this season and in contrast with St. Joseph’s, the Ramblers have struggled on offense as a poor turnover team and a marginal free throw shooting team. The pace for Loyola Chicago has been one of the fastest in the conference even with the team’s strength being on defense and St. Joseph’s has proven successful in higher scoring games. Close wins have been common in the 9-2 league record for the Ramblers, as seven of nine wins have come by eight or fewer points. St. Joseph’s is 3-1 in four meetings since Loyola-Chicago joined the A-10 including the Hawks posting an 83-71 win at Gentile Arena last February. The underdog has appeal with a close game likely between these teams.