Yes, Rhode Island is a 5-point road favorite, but we love this play and I'll tell you why. The Rams come into this game at 20-6, 8-5 in the Atlantic 10. St.Bonaventure comes in at 12-14, 5-8 in the conference. Rhode Island currently squarely on the bubble with 20 wins. They have work to do to secure a berth into the big dance, and that work begins today.

The Rams can see the finish line with only 3 games remaining, and they know a loss in this one will be extremely damaging to their case for an at large bid. Even with Charlotte up next for them, I can't see them overlooking a game they NEED to win. 

Rhode Island is a good road team, going 8-4 thus far, with wins at Boston College, Davidson, Drexel, Akron, and Dayton. This team has proven it can win on the road. It has also proven that it beats up on the teams in the bottom half of the A-10. They are 8-0 versus teams below them in the A-10 standings, and all but 1 of those wins has been by at least 5 points. The exception was a 1 point win at Dayton, which is a really tough place to get a win. 

On the other side here we have St. Bonaventure, who is 7-4 overall at home, but only 2-4 at home in the conference. They are very much like the Rams in that they have only beaten teams below them in the A-10 standings. They are 0-6 against teams who are above them in the A-10 standings, with 4 of those losses coming at home. Those 4 losses at home have come by 7, 17, 19, and 18 points. 

The Bonnies are coming off 2 road wins, and the Rams have lost 3 out of 4. But those Bonnies wins were against bad teams, and those Rams losses were against the top of the A-10. we believe these recent streaks have given us value here. I see the Rams winning this game by double  digits