The Cardinal and Wildcats will square off in the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament on Thanksgiving afternoon. With the season still fresh and new, the Cardinal enter play winless at 0-3 ATS, and just 2-2 SU, compared to the Wildcats’ 4-0 SU and 3-0 ATS mark.
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HOW THE STANFORD CARDINAL CAN COVER THE SPREAD
To cover the spread for the first time this season, the Cardinal will need to lean on their offense as the defense has been a bit inconsistent to start the year, allowing 77.8 PPG and permitting the opposition to shoot 46.2% from the floor.
They’ll need to play much stronger defense to allow for the offense to really shine.
Offensively, they’re outscoring the opposition by just 0.4 PPG through their first four games, but are shooting a very strong 50.2% from the floor.
The return of Marcus Allen should help, though his only two games were the two the Cardinal dropped. Still, he’s scored 32 points in those two games. In addition to him, the team has five other players with at least 9.8 PPG including Christian Sanders whose 18 assists leads the team and Michael Humphrey who’s amassed 8.0 RPG.
With both Rosco Allen and Marcus Allen getting off to strong starts their offense has covered for the losses of their three top scorers from last season. Still, they do remain reliant on reaching the free throw line despite a below average shooting percentage.
For Stanford to cover, they’ll need plenty of charity shots and to dominate in the paint as they struggle a bit on the outside, particularly from beyond the arc.
HOW THE VILLANOVA WILDCATS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Wildcats are rolling early. They’re outscoring the opposition by 28.8 PPG, holding the opposition to 56 PPG and a meager 33.1% field goal percentage.
To cover the spread, Villanova will need to continue to perform on defense and push the Cardinal into low percentage shots and, as much as possible, out of the paint. The Wildcats also need to be very careful and avoid too many fouls as too many free throws can keep the Cardinal in this game.
Offensively, Villanova has a diverse group of talent that helps provide consistency in their production as they go up against varying styles of defense.
Guard Josh Hart leads the team with 16.5 PPG, but three others have averaged at least 12.2 PPG here in the early going. In addition, the team has racked up a number of blocks, including eight from Daniel Ochefu who also leads the team in rebounds with 10.8. He’s be key in defending the paint and helping to limit Cardinal’ chances down low.
In addition to him, guard Ryan Arcidiacono offers strong ball control, leading the team in assists with 22, but also topping the team in steals with eight.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Cardinal are still learning to play as a team, meanwhile the Wildcats are looking to build off a very strong performance a season ago that landed them a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Nova has got the talent once again and has shown pure dominance early. They’ve already covered spreads as high as 24-points and most recently topped Arkansas by 19 as Hart was good for 27 points.
The key will be keeping the Cardinal off the free throw line where they’ve gotten a large percentage of their points. On field goals, the Wildcats are allowing a shooting percentage of just 33.1%. The Villanova defense should—as a result—give Stanford fits.
Villanova 78, Stanford 67
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Stanford Cardinal and Villanova Wildcats will go down Thursday, November 26, 2015, at 4:30 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
