Connecticut vs. Villanova Prediction
Two teams in need of a win meet up today at 12:30PM ET when Villanova faces Connecticut from Madison Square Garden. Which team will come away with the victory?
607 Connecticut vs. 608 Villanova
Saturday, December 22, 2018
12:30PM ET – Madison Square Garden
TV: CBS
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, Villanova is favored in this game, as the Wildcats are getting odds of -6.5 points against Connecticut. The over/under total is listed at 145.5 points. The public betting currently is unavailable. 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.
Huskies out of sync
Connecticut is coming off back-to-back win heading into today. The Huskies haven’t been able to get past a three-game win streak yet this year. UConn is 9-3 on the season, 1-2 on a neutral floor, 7-5 against the spread and 7-5 with the over.
The Huskies are putting up some good numbers, averaging 83.2 points per game on offense while shooting 48.2 percent from the field. Defensively, UConn is allowing 70.6 points per contest while opponents shoot just 29.6 percent from the arc. Jalen Adams is leading the team with 17.3 points per game while Alterique Gilbert is adding 12.3 points and 4.3 assists per contest.
Nova on skid
Villanova has suffered back-to-back losses to Penn and Kansas over the last 10 days. The Wildcats are 8-4 on the season, 3-0 on a neutral floor, 7-5 against the spread and 8-2-1 with the under.
The Wildcats are scoring just 74.7 points per game on offense while shooting just 44.2 percent form the field. Defensively, Villanova is giving up 66.7 points per game while opponents shoot 43.9 percent from the floor. Phil Booth is averaging 16.9 points per game to lead the team while Eric Paschall is adding 14.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Connecticut
The Huskies are 1-6 against the spread in their last seven on a neutral site and 4-11 ATS in their last 15 Saturday games.
Villanova
Villanova has covered the spread in four straight against AAC opponents and in 38 of their last 55 neutral-site games
Prediction:
Connecticut has yet to play a true road game. While this isn’t a true road game, it’s a game away from home. Those haven’t resulted in good results as of yet while Nova has won all three on a neutral floor. Nova is more battle tested than UConn coming into this game and I think that will be the difference. The Wildcats are still the defending champs and know how to win games in an environment like that.
College Basketball Prediction: Villanova -6.5