Richmond Spiders

The Spiders were 10-2 on 20 December and finished 15-17. Once Richmond started getting points, though, it covered 8 of 12.

Two seasons in one

Richmond won ten of its first twelve, eight of them at home. Then Charleston Southern won 77-72 in Richmond on 28 December with the Spiders at -850, and the rest of the year went 5-15. January was 3-6, February 2-4, March 0-3.

Against the spread the slide barely shows. Richmond covered 10 of those last 20 games, against 6 of 10 lined games in the 10-2 start.

That slide cost the moneyline 7.55 units over 31 priced games. The favorite’s role hurt most: 11-8 in 19 games, 4.55 units down, and only 17 Division I teams favored at least once lost more that way, with one losing the same.

Where the spread still paid

Now watch the games with Richmond getting points. Richmond was an underdog 12 times, won three, and covered eight. Away from home the Spiders covered 7 of 11 while winning 3 of 11. The longest-priced wins were on the road at Belmont, 84-76 at +245, and at St. Bonaventure, 89-80 at +215; the Bonnies lost both meetings, and Richmond covered both.

Atlantic 10 teams that swept them

Five conference opponents beat Richmond twice: Davidson, George Washington, Rhode Island, VCU and Loyola Chicago. That is ten of the 17 losses. Loyola’s second win, 75-67 in the Atlantic 10 tournament opener, was the fourth defeat in a row to close the year. Three of those four were lost by five points or fewer, and Richmond covered two.

Richmond scored 76.72 points a game and allowed 73.94: almost three points a night better than its opponents, and still two games under .500.

The total

Richmond’s games stayed under 17 times and went over 14, too even a split to lean on.

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