Loyola Chicago vs. Stanford Odds
| Loyola Chicago Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 127.5 -110o / -110u | +230 |
| Stanford Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 127.5 -110o / -110u | -275 |
Loyola Chicago and Stanford will meet in Santa Cruz, California, at the Kaiser Permanente Arena for what will be the nonconference season finale for both teams.
Loyola Chicago comes into this contest on a three-game winning streak, including a statement win over Clemson, 76-58, on Dec. 10.
For Stanford, its last game resulted in yet another loss against a top-tier opponent. The Cardinal fell to Texas, 62-72, for their sixth loss to teams inside the top 40.
Stanford must gather itself in order to face a Loyola Chicago team whose confidence is at an all-time high.
Loyola Chicago Ramblers
Drew Valentine's second season at the helm for the Ramblers got off to a rocky start. Loyola Chicago started the year by losing four of its first six games. However, it has since won three of its last four.
As a result of this up-and-down season, the Ramblers have yet to prove if they can consistently compete against top-level competition. Through 11 games, Loyola Chicago has just one win against a team inside the top 250 in the country.
The Ramblers have been their own worst enemy at times, turning the ball over at a 25.8% clip (361st nationally). This turnover rate has resulted in an offense that ranks 171st in the country in adjusted efficiency (102.1).
This is important to note when going up against a Stanford defense that has used its length to be effective on the defensive end.
Defensively, Stanford has put together a unit that ranks 44th nationally in adjusted efficiency (94.0) due in large part to being the eighth-tallest team in the country by average height (6-foot-7).
This defensive length will be a problem for a Loyola Chicago offense that thrives inside the 3-point line. The Ramblers own the 11th-highest 2-point percentage in the country at 58.5%.
Look for Stanford to use its size advantage to cut off driving lanes and force Loyola Chicago to settle for outside shots.
Stanford Cardinal
Stanford's season has been gut punch after gut punch throughout its nonconference slate.
The Cardinal enter Thursday with a 4-7 record due in large part to one of the toughest schedules in the entire country. According to KenPom's strength of schedule components, Stanford has faced the 12th-toughest schedule in the nation.
Although Stanford has lost all six of its games against marquee opponents, half of them were decided by single digits. As a result, seventh-year head coach Jerod Haase has to be looking at Thursday's matchup with Loyola as a huge opportunity.
Stanford has come out on the losing side in seven games this season due to an inconsistent offensive attack. The Cardinal are shooting just 30.2% from deep this season (307th nationally), which has allowed teams to neutralize their size by prioritizing interior defense.
Unfortunately for Stanford, the Ramblers have allowed their opponents to shoot just 30.3% from distance this season (59th nationally). This does not bode well for a Stanford offense that takes 43% of its shots from outside despite its poor 3-point percentage.
If Stanford wants to finally get over the hump, it will need to see a 3-point shooting progression against a fundamental Ramblers perimeter defense.
Loyola Chicago vs. Stanford Betting Pick
This is a tough handicap between two teams that have a lot of similar stylistic tendencies. Ultimately, I believe both defenses will have advantages in this matchup.
Loyola Chicago will make Stanford predictable by limiting its 3-point production, while the Cardinal will utilize their length to clog up the interior, where the Ramblers thrive.
Additionally, both of these teams play at extremely slow and methodical paces with Loyola Chicago averaging 64.7 possessions per game (330th nationally) and Stanford averaging 67.8 (225th nationally).
The defensive advantages and sluggish offensive pace give value to the underdog Ramblers, who have improved offensively as the season has progressed.
