Old Dominion did not win the regular season Colonial Atlantic title, but it can wrap up its second consecutive conference tournament crown with a win this evening. The Monarchs will do battle with Virginia Commonwealth at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia; the championship clash is scheduled to get underway at 7:00pm ET on ESPN. The latest College Basketball Lines have Old Dominion listed as a -4.5 against the spread NCAA basketball predictions favorite and the Over/Under set at 126.5.
At 23-10 overall, Virginia Commonwealth needs a victory this evening to secure a spot in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The 
Rams only means in at this point is through the automatic bid that a tournament championship provides.
Shaka Smart's squad, which lost its last two regular season games, probably has more than its share of confidence coming into tonight's finale. The Rams are fresh off an upset of No. 25 George Mason and they scored a 59-50 win at Old Dominion in late January.
VCU ended George Mason's 16 game win streak on Sunday with a 79-63 CAA tournament semifinals victory. The Rams, which had four players in double figures, made 29 trips to the charity stripe compared to the Patriots 13, but they did most of their damage from beyond the arc.
Virginia Commonwealth nailed 44 percent of its three point attempts as Jamie Skeen, who led the Rams with 21 points, and Bradford Burgess combined to go 7-of-12 from long range.
Old Dominion, after compiling a 24-6 regular season record (14-4 CAA), has probably already punched its NCAA Tournament ticket, but a win tonight would certainly eliminate any Selection Sunday nerves.
The Monarchs recorded their eighth straight win on Sunday, beating Hofstra 77-69 to advance to this evening's championship game. ODU shot an incredible 57.1 percent from the field against the Pride as its starting lineup hit 21 of its 32 shot attempts.
Forward Frank Hassell led the Monarchs with 22 points (6-of-9 FG, 10-of-12 FT); he was one of four Old Dominion players to score in double figures.
Old Dominion, which avenged its January home loss to VCU with a 70-59 win at Richmond, has won three of its last four games against the Rams.
Virginia Commonwealth vs Old Dominion Lines 2011 College Basketball Predictions:
Virginia Commonwealth Rams +4.5 (-110), Over 126.5 (-110), +180 (Moneyline)
Old Dominion Monarchs -4.5 (-110), Under 126.5 (-110), -200 (Moneyline)
