Losses in three of their last seven games, including two unsightly defeats to Monmouth and UNC-Asheville have put the Georgetown Hoyas in a bad spot.
They're probably nowhere near the NCAA Tournament as of this date, and the only thing that's going to help them now is a win against a team like the Villanova Wildcats in Big East play.
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HOW THE VILLANOVA WILDCATS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Wildcats have coasted to a 14-2 record, and they're very likely to be 15-2 by the time this one tips off considering the fact that they have Marquette at home on Wednesday night. Villanova's two losses have come against Virginia and Oklahoma, both of which would have claims to top seeds in the NCAA Tournament if it started right now.
Here on the road, the key is going to be playing sound defensively. Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu are largely known for what they do on the offensive end of the court, but they're both lockdown defenders who can really be difference-makers in all facets of the game. There's a reason why the Wildcats are allowing just 60.1 points per game, and against a Georgetown team which has had some frustrating and mind-boggling performances both at home and away offensively this year, there's certainly leeway for a great game in this one as well.
Offensively, we really don't think Jay Wright's men have to be all that special. The Hoyas aren't getting into the 80s in this game regardless of how poorly the Wildcats do or do not play defensively, and as we saw against Butler last weekend, getting to 60 might be enough to win a game like this one.
HOW THE GEORGETOWN HOYAS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
We've seen enough of Georgetown this year to know that intensity is the big problem at times. It feels as though this team plays to the level of its competition, and in a rare twist, it really has to do that in this game if it wants any chance to win.
You hate to pin the hopes of an entire team on just one player, but that might be what the Hoyas have to do. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera is their best player, and he's a man with over 1,600 points already in his collegiate career. He was born to score and born to take over games like this one, but he's going to have one of the toughest matchups in the Big East guarding him in Arcidiacono.
Isaac Copeland and L.J Peak might both be double-digit scorers on average as well, but the man who can go for 30 and carry the load is clearly Smith-Rivera, and he'll have to do so on Monday afternoon at home.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Villanova is just flat out rolling right now, and Georgetown probably isn't stopping that. We just don't see enough offensive weapons here for the Hoyas, and though Smith-Rivera could take this game over all by himself, it isn't likely to happen.
In fact, it's more likely that the Villanova guards are able to wear Smith-Rivera out on the other end of the court, and that could really hurt the offense for the Hoyas as well.
In the end, Villanova just has more scoring options to turn to, and that will be the difference in this game. It could be another ugly one like the Nova/Butler game last weekend, but that won't bother Wright in the least as long as his Wildcats walk out of D.C. victorious.
Villanova 65, Georgetown 57
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