Miami vs. Villanova Betting Preview
Two of the best in the nation meet up on Thursday night as No. 2 Villanova faces No. 3 Miami in a regional semifinal at 7:10PM ET. Here’s a breakdown of the contest.
Miami enters this game with a 27-7 record overall, a 6-1 mark in games at a neutral site and a 19-13-1 record against the spread. The Hurricanes defeated Buffalo 79-72 to begin its tournament run and then topped Wichita State 65-57. Villanova is 31-5 overall this season, 6-2 on a neutral floor and 17-17-1 against the spread. The Wildcats beat UNC-Asheville 86-56 before topping Iowa 87-68 in its two NCAA Tournament games. These two meet tonight in the South Regional semifinal from the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
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According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Villanova enters this game as the slight favorite, as the Wildcats are getting odds of -4 points against the Hurricanes. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 140.5 points.
These two are former Big East foes that used to meet twice a year, but they haven’t faced off since 2004. The Wildcats have covered in both NCAA Tournament games while Miami is 1-1 ATS. Both teams play an up-tempo style, each averaging over 75 points per game. By the numbers, the Wildcats average just a little more on offense (77.5-75.4) and give up just a little less on defense (63.6-66.7) than Miami, but the Hurricanes face a little tougher talent in the ACC. Each is led by strong guard play in Angel Rodriguez (12.6 ppg, 4.4 apg) for Miami and Ryan Arcidiacono (12.0 ppg, 4.4 apg) for Villanova.
The key trends for this game stick out most in support of Miami. Villanova is just 2-6 against the spread in their last 8 games following a win while also going just 1-5 ATS in their last 6 against ACC opponents. Miami is 13-4 ATS in their last 17 non-conference games. The Hurricanes have also been strong against the top teams, as they are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against a team with a .600 winning percentage or higher.
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