College basketball 2022-23 Atlantic 10 betting guide

The A-10 is always a little underrated as a league to me. There are usually a few teams competing at the very top and teams like VCU and Davidson seem to always give teams all they can handle outside of the conference too. 

Adding Loyola-Chicago to that mix only makes this league that much stronger for hoops. A lot of the players that helped establish that program over the last few seasons are gone, but the odds say that the Ramblers are going to be in the mix right from the start. 

Here is a quick look at the whole A-10 Conference. Dayton is more than just the top team, the Flyers are in a lot of national rankings too. 

Atlantic 10 Conference Futures 

Dayton Flyers +160

The Flyers are loaded coming into the season. Sophomore big man DaRon Holmes looks like a potential NBA lottery pick and with players like Toumani Camara and Malachi Smith around he does not have to do all of the heavy lifting every night. Their defense is always there too, making them so hard to beat. They will hurt some P5 teams this season. 

Saint Louis Billikens +230

The Billikens are not quite with Dayton in terms of having an NBA-level talent on the roster, but they are going to be very good again. Yuri Collins is a very good lead guard and this team knows how to put the ball in the basket - they were tops in the A-10 in scoring last season. Larry Hughes Jr. is a frosh that might have gone to a bigger program, except he wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps. 

VCU Rams +700

VCU always plays teams tough and they were second in the conference in scoring defense a season ago. Guard Ace Baldwin is a defensive menace at the point of attack, making it hard for teams to get into their sets. Scoring can be a challenge for the Rams and they are hoping for reinforcements from a couple of players who missed all of last season. If those guys hit they can be right there at the top at the end. They are a nice price to take a chance on. 

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers +850

The Ramblers are in a new league. The Missouri Valley is a solid league but not as deep as the A-10. When you join something new there can be some advantages because folks don't know you all that well. Lead guard Braden Norris has been a part of a lot of winning at Loyola and the Ramblers will lean on him to keep things organized. They are a legit threat. 

Davidson Wildcats +1100

There is a changing of the guard at Davidson with Bob McKillop retiring. His son has taken over the program though so stylistically there is probably not much of a change. Guard Foster Loyer found a home last season after coming over from Michigan State, he is the third returning scorer in the league. The key will be finding their next sweet-shooting big man. They do have candidates though. 

George Mason Patriots +2000

Big man Josh Oduro is the leading returning scorer in the league at 17ppg. Wing Davonte Gaines is the leading returning rebounder at 8rpg, giving them a nice solid foundation to build on. Coach Kim English had these guys playing really well early on but then they fell off. If they can be more consistent they are a threat. 

Rhode Island Rams +2500

Archie Miller is back in the A-10 after flaming out at Indiana. He is going to be without the Mitchell twins who patrolled the paint last season. Guard Anthony Harris began his career at UNC and might be similar to Loyer above in terms of liking the opportunity this league and the team is offering. Miller is a good coach but he is going to need some time. 

Richmond Spiders +2500

Tyler Burton is an athletic wing and one of the best players in the league. He is back after being curious about the NBA. Neal Quinn is a massive transfer (7-0, 250) who is going to have a significant size advantage most nights. He is stepping up in competition too but if he feels comfortable the Spiders have some upward mobility for sure. 

UMass Minutemen +2500

Coach Frank Martin is now at UMass. The experienced coach always ratchets up the toughness everywhere he goes, but he has no returning starters. UMass has gone all in on transfers, many of them from bigger schools so there talent is going to be better.  We just don't have a lot of proof of concept right now. 

St. Bonaventure Bonnies +5000

Last year was supposed to be the Bonnies' year. Instead, it was a major disappointment and now they have to do a complete reset with no starters returning, after many having transferred out of the program. As a result, the Bonnies are looking to reload with transfers, but the level of talent has been downgraded. 

La Salle Explorers +12000

Fran Dunphy is in as the new coach at La Salle. He is a Philly guy through and through so you have to like his chances of getting more out of the Explorers, eventually. That said, he has just one returning starter to work with so expectations have to be pretty tempered for Year 1.  

George Washington Colonials +25000

Yet another first-year coach in Chris Caputo at GW. The difference is this is his first gig helming a team. He does have a few starters to work with including James Bishop IV, one of the leading returning scorers in the league. It is hard to know with a first-time coach, but GW should finish outside the basement. 

Fordham Rams +25000

The previous coach, Kyle Neptune, left to go back to Villanova. Now another first-time head coach inherits 3 starters though including Darius Quisenberry, one of the best guards in the league. The Rams are missing their top rebounder from a year ago though and don't not appear to have much muscle inside. If they can sort that out they can compete, but there are limits.