Villanova vs. Purdue Prediction
Will the title defense for No. 6 Villanova come to an end tonight when it takes on No. 3 Purdue in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament at 8:40PM ET?
837 Villanova vs. 838 Purdue
Saturday, March 23, 2019
8:40PM ET – XL Center
TV: TNT
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, Purdue is the slight favorite in this game, as the Boilermakers are getting odds of -3.5 points against Villanova. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 137 points. The public betting currently has 59 percent going on Villanova as the underdog. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Nova survives St. Mary’s
Villanova started its NCAA Tournament with a 61-57 win over St. Mary’s on Thursday. The Wildcats managed to cover a 3.5-point spread and they have won four straight coming into tonight. Nova is 26-9 on the season, 8-1 on a neutral floor, 21-14 against the spread and 20-12-2 with the under.
The Wildcats are a strong defensive team, allowing just 66.8 points per game while opponents shoot 43.3 percent against them. Offensively, Nova is putting up 74.1 points per game while shooting just 44.1 percent as a team. The Cats had just 9 free throw attempts in Thursday’s win, but shot 49 percent from the field and 40 percent from the arc. Phil Booth had 20 points and six assists in the win while Eric Paschall had 14 points with six rebounds.
Purdue locks up Old Dominion
Purdue bested Old Dominion in the first round of the tournament, 61-48. The Boilermakers covered the 12.5-point spread in the win and have covered in four of their last six. Purdue is now 24-9 on the season, 3-3 on a neutral floor, 18-14-1 against the spread and 17-16 with the over.
The Boilermakers are giving up just 66.2 points per game this season defensively while holding opponents to 41.5 percent shooting. On offense, Purdue is averaging 75.7 points per game while shooting 44.5 percent as a team. The shooting wasn’t there on Thursday, going just 20-of-53 from the field and 9-of-30 from the arc. Carsen Edwards led the team with 26 points and seven rebounds while Matt Haarms added 13 points.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Villanova
Nova is 11-2 against the spread in their last 13 against Big Ten opponents and 14-3 ATS in their last 17 NCAA Tournament games.
Purdue
Purdue is 2-7 against the spread in its last nine against Big East opponents and 2-5 ATS in their last seven following a win.
Prediction:
Purdue didn’t shoot well on Thursday, but still won with defense. I don’t like that recipe for the Boilers today. They will need to find their offense against Nova, which has some pretty good scoring balance. Purdue is very reliant on Edwards and that has hurt them before, especially the Big Ten Tournament loss. I think Nova will have a game plan to try and limit him, which will leave them searching for help. If nobody can step up, Nova should be able to get the upset.
College Basketball Prediction: Villanova +3.5