The VIllanova Wildcats are making their claim as the best team in college basketball this season. They will aim to continue flexing their muscle when they face off against the Connecticut Huskies in a non-conference matchup this week.
UConn is at home but has not played well on the year and should be a decided underdog. It hasn’t mattered where the Wildcats have played this season, as they have dominated pretty much everyone on the schedule. Villanova will be giving up many points in this matchup as they will have to cruise to the win in order to cover the spread.
Watch this regular season matchup live on Saturday, January 20, 2018, at 9 p.m. ET at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
Opening NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Villanova
Connecticut
Over/Under
Odds Analysis
Villanova is 16-1 straight up this season and 10-6-1 against the spread. The Wildcats have played on the road five times and covered in three of them. Villanova has been favored in every game on the season and that won’t change here.
Connecticut is 10-7 straight up and 7-9 against the spread. The Huskies have covered in three of eight attempts at home. UConn has done well as the underdog, covering in six of 10 attempts.
Key Stat
88.3. That’s the number of points Villanova averages per game, which is sixth-best in the nation. They have a variety of talented players who can put the ball in the hoop, led by Jalen Brunson. The junior guard is averaging 18.8 points per game while also adding 5.2 assists.
The Wildcats have five different players who average in double figures. Brunson is joined near the top of the team by Mikal Bridges, who averages 17.5 points per game, while Donte DiVincenzo, Phil Booth and Omari Spellman all average between 13.0 and 10.0 points per contest. Eric Paschall is knocking right on the door as he is averaging 9.9 points per contest.
Villanova is averaging 17.4 assists per game as a team, which is one of the better marks in college. Ball movement is a big key and the Wildcats also have several players who can consistently win one-on-one matchups, which makes the team so hard to slow down.
Player to Watch
Jalen Adams — If Connecticut has any chance of hanging around in this game, it will likely be on the back of their junior guard. Adams has played a significant role all three of his years with the Huskies and is now the unquestioned star of the team.
He is averaging 18.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Adams had 25 points, six assists and five rebounds last time out to help UConn pick up a win over Tulane, its third straight victory.
The Huskies are playing better of late but this is still a monumental task. Adams averages 38.5 minutes per game as Connecticut barely ever plays without him on the court. He could very well play every single minute of this contest if it remains close.
Free ATS Pick
Connecticut and Villanova have long been two of the best programs in college hoops, but the Wildcats are the only one living up to that billing this year. Villanova must go on the road and that is never easy, and a win in this one could revive the Huskies’ fledgling March Madness hopes.
Don’t expect for that to happen. Villanova is clearly the better team and should roll to the victory. The only drama is which team covers the spread in this matchup. The Huskies could be the right choice to cover.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Villanova 75, Connecticut 66
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