The Big East is looking like a two-team race, but the Seton Hall Pirates can thrust themselves into the conversation with a win next time out. The issue? It would need to come not just on the road, but against the No. 1 ranked Villanova Wildcats.
Villanova and Xavier have proven to be the class of the conference thus far and figure to do battle down the stretch for the conference title. The Wildcats have looked like national championship contenders all season and will be heavy favorites to take care of business in this matchup.
Seton Hall would love to pull the upset as it would be a huge boost for March Madness seeding, but getting the win on the road is exceedingly unlikely.
At 12 p.m. ET, tune into FOX for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Sunday, February 4, 2018, at The Pavilion.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Sunday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Seton Hall is 17-5 straight up and 11-11 against the spread. The Pirates have played in six road games this season and covered in half of them. Seton Hall has only been the underdog in three games on the season, covering in two of them.
Villanova is 21-1 straight up and 14-7-1 against the spread. The Wildcats have covered in five of their eight home games this season. Villanova has been the favorite in every game this season.
Key Stat
Three. That’s how many wins this Seton Hall squad has against ranked opponents this season. The Pirates enter this contest with a 3-1 record against Top 25 teams this year.
Seton Hall captured an 89-79 win over No. 22 Texas Tech on November 30th and also defeated No. 17 Louisville 79-77 on December 3rd. Later in December, the Pirates pulled off a 90-84 over No. 25 Creighton in the midst of a five-game winning streak. On January 11th, Seton fell to No. 11 Xavier 73-64 for its first loss against a ranked team this season. Sunday’s matchup against Villanova is undoubtedly its toughest test of the season, but the Pirates have proven they can play tough against top teams which sweetens their chances of an upset.
Player To Watch
Jalen Brunson — Villanova’s junior guard has been the go-to guy on offense this year and shows no signs of slowing down. Brunson had 31 points in his team’s win over Marquette on January 24th and finished with 19 against Creighton on Thursday.
He is averaging a team-high 19.4 points and five assists per game. The 21-year-old has scored 30 points or more in three games this season and is averaging 21.2 points a game over the last five contests coming into this one.
Brunson leads an offense that averages 87.8 points a game, the fifth-best mark in the country. He gets some help from fellow junior Mikal Bridges and sophomore Donte DiVincenzo, who combine for another 30.4 points a game for Villanova.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
Villanova is an elite team and gets this game at home, so it’s an easy call to choose the Wildcats to win this contest. Villanova has a great offense as well as a stingy defense, and it’s hard to poke holes in anything it does.
Seton Hall’s best chance will be shooting well from the field to try to stay close in a shootout. However, Villanova should be able to win this game going away and may be able to cover the spread, depending on where the oddsmakers peg it.
The “over” should be under consideration as this one could have a high tempo.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Villanova 86, Seton Hall 74
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