There are some teams on their heels, but if the Villanova Wildcats keep playing like they have all year long, they should eventually pull away for the Big East title. They will look to keep the other contenders at bay next time out with a win over the Providence Friars.
Villanova is the home team and ranked No. 1 in the country to clearly it will be the team to beat in this matchup. Providence will need to play close to flawlessly in order to come away with the shocking upset.
Providence seems like a longshot to make the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but a win here could help give it a fighting chance because of such a signature win.
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Villanova is 18-1 straight up and 13-6 against the spread. Much was expected of the Wildcats this season and yet they have still outperformed expectations, as evidence by how many times they have covered.
Villanova’s lone loss this season came at the hands of Butler. The Wildcats have played nine games at home and have covered in seven of them. They have been the favorite in every game this season and it won’t change here.
Providence is 13-7 straight up and 11-9 against the spread. The Friars have played in six true road games and have only covered in a pair of them. They have done well as an underdog this season, covering in six of nine attempts.
Key Stat
46. That’s how many points Villanova held Seton Hall to last week. The victory marked a season-low for points allowed by this Wildcat defense, which is holding opponents to an average of 61.7 points per game this year.
Since their first and only loss this season on January 4th, Villanova’s defense has been stronger than ever. In that span, the Wildcats have held three of the four opponents they’ve faced to less than 60 points.
Villanova has held four opponent to 48 points or less this season. The team’s strong defense will be key in this matchup too as the Wildcats look to extend their current winning streak to five games.
Player to Watch
Rodney Bullock – The Friars are going to need their leading scorer to step up big this week against Villanova. Bullock is averaging 17.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this season.
The junior scored 44 combined points in back-to-back wins last week against Seton Hall and Georgetown. He had a season-high 36 points against the University of New Hampshire on November 30th.
Bullock and the rest of the Providence offense are averaging 69.2 points per game this season. They face a big test in simply getting to that average.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
While there have been other impressive teams this season, no one can match the performance of Villanova, which has performed well against a tough schedule.
Even though the Wildcats have the one conference loss, so too, does everyone else in the Big East, which makes Villanova the favorite down the stretch. Josh Hart is the star for Villanova, and watch for him to have a big game.
Providence doesn’t have enough talent to keep this one close as the Wildcats are playing well and will feed off the home crowd to pick up an easy win. The spread could be pretty high since Villanova has played so well this year, but even so the Wildcats may be able to continue their impressive pace and again cover.
College Basketball Odds: Villanova 78, Providence 64
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