The Loyola Chicago Ramblers (17-9, 8-5 Atlantic 10) will wrap up their season series with the Dayton Flyers (18-8, 8-5) on Friday night. Dayton picked up an overtime win in the first meeting on January 18, but Loyola Chicago has won five of its last six games. The Ramblers are coming off a 77-60 victory at Davidson on Tuesday, remaining tied with the Flyers for third place in the conference standings. Dayton has won four of its last five games, narrowly escaping with a 77-76 win over Duquesne last Saturday.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on Friday at Gentile Arena. Dayton is favored by 2.5 points, with the over/under at 140.5 points according to SportsLine consensus. Before placing any bets on the Dayton vs. Loyola Chicago match, check out the predictions from the SportsLine model.

Why Loyola Chicago can cover

Loyola Chicago is on a three-game winning streak and has won five of its last six games, including a recent 77-69 win at Davidson. Junior guard Jayden Dawson scored 24 points in that game, shooting 7 of 13 from the field and 5 of 10 from beyond the arc, alongside three rebounds and assists.

The Ramblers are quite close to the top of the conference standings, with two of their Atlantic 10 losses coming in overtime. Dawson leads the team with an average of 13.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Loyola Chicago has covered the spread in six of its last seven outings, boasting an impressive 11-2 record against the spread in their last 13 February games.

Why Dayton can cover

On the other hand, Dayton is also on a good run, having won four of its last five games, which keeps them tied for third in the standings. They pulled off crucial wins on the road, defeating the Saint Louis Billikens and covering the spread against the Fordham Rams with an 8-point favor. Enoch Cheeks scored 19 points in a recent encounter against Duquesne.

Dayton has the additional confidence of a prior win against Loyola Chicago, with Cheeks marking 26 points in the first game. Starters Malachi Smith and Javon Bennett also contributed significantly in that matchup.

How to make Loyola Chicago vs. Dayton picks

The predictive model has simulated the game 10,000 times to give an informed forecast. It shows an inclination towards the over and has a point-spread pick hitting well over 50% of the time. Discover more by visiting SportsLine.