No. 21 UConn likely won’t be able to catch No. 8 Villanova in the Big East standings, even if the Huskies can defend home court and score a win Tuesday night. But the Huskies, who have won three straight, need to keep collecting wins to hold off Creighton, which is currently tied with UConn for third in the Big East standings. Toppling Villanova will not be an easy task, as the Wildcats are in strong form and have won five consecutive games.
UConn is a 2-point favorite and are -136 on the moneyline. Villanova is +112 on the moneyline. The over/under is set at 135 points.
Villanova Wildcats Betting Preview
Wildcats guard Collin Gillespie leads the Wildcats in scoring, contributing 16.6 points and 2.9 assists per game. Gillespie has been in strong form of late, scoring a career-high 33 points against Providence last week and grabbing ten rebounds against Georgetown, which helped him earn Naismith National Player of the Week. Villanova’s offense can attack opponents in many ways effectively.
The Wildcats rank first nationally by shooting 82.8 percent from the free-throw line. Villanova also ranks 64th nationally by shooting 36.2 percent from the perimeter.
The Wildcats’ limit their opponents to 63.1 points per game, which ranks 35th nationally. Villanova ranks fourth in the Big East in field goal percentage defense, limiting its opponents to 40.8 percent shooting from the field.
UConn Huskies Betting Preview
UConn forward Adama Sanogo provides the Huskies with a strong presence in the post, leading the team by grabbing 8.6 rebounds per game while also contributing 15.1 points per game. Graduate student R.J. Cole also leads the Huskies by scoring 16.2 points per game. The Huskies usually utilize a balanced attack, having eight games this season where five players scored in double figures.
Defense, though, is where the Huskies have shined this season. UConn leads the conference in field goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to 39.6 percent shooting from the field.
The Huskies limit their opponents to 65.1 points per game, which ranks 63rd nationally. UConn is 16-13 all-time at home against Villanova, but the Wildcats won their last meeting in Hartford, dropping UConn 81-61 on Jan. 21, 2009.
Villanova vs. UConn Betting Prediction
UConn has survived a couple of close results, winning two of its last three games by five points or less. The Huskies are a strong defensive team that has struggled to close out games this season.
There will be a lot of pressure on UConn to win this game to maintain its position in the Big East’s top three. Villanova is looking more like the potential national title contender some people thought it could be at the start of the season.
The Wildcats beat UConn by nine points earlier this season at home. Villanova shot 59.2 percent and cut the Huskies’ defense to shreds. The Wildcats are still in the race for the Big East regular-season title and will win outright and cover the +2 spread.
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