Villanova Wildcats vs Providence Friars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/18/2023

Game Time: 4:30 pm ET, Saturday, February 18, 2023

Venue:  Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI

Where to Watch:  Fox

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Villanova +5, Providence -5; Over/Under:  138 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Villanova +5, Providence -5; Over/Under:  138 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Villanova +5, Providence -5; Over/Under:  138 points

Villanova Wildcats:  13-13 (7-8) (7th place, Big East)

Providence Friars:  19-7 (11-4) (3rd place, Big East)

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Villanova Wildcats:  3-2  last 5

Providence Friars:  3-2  last 5

Villanova is coming into this game with a 13-13 record overall and they are 3-7 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are also 7-8 in their conference games this season as well. They are entering this game on a 3 game winning streak with wins coming against the DePaul Blue Demons, the Seton Hall Pirates, and the Butler Bulldogs in their last game. Justin Moore led the team in points in that game with 15 while Caleb Daniels was next on the team with 13 points. Eric Dixon led the team in assists in that game with 3 while Eric Dixon and Cam Whitmore each led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 35.2% from the field, 28.6% from 3-point range, and 84.2% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 69.4 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 67.2 PPG against them. Villanova has an ATS record of 10-16 this season and their O/U record is 12-14.

Providence is coming into this game with a 19-7 record overall and they are 14-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are also 11-4 in their conference schedule this season as well. They are entering this game off of a win against the Creighton Bluejays in their last game. Devin Carter led the team in points in that game with 25 while Bryce Hopkins and Noah Locke each were next on the team with 20 points. Jared Bynum led the team in assists in that game with 6 while Bryce Hopkins led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 44.7% from the field, 42.1% from 3-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 78.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 69.5 PPG against them. Providence has an ATS record of 16-10 this season and their O/U record is 12-14.

The current betting odds have Providence listed as a 5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Providence has been having a great year with their 19-7 record overall and they have been one of the best teams in the Big East with their 11-4 conference record. They have also been a really good home team all season as they are still undefeated there with a 14-0 home record and they are going to have a lot of momentum from their win over Creighton in their last home game which was a huge win for them against another ranked team. Villanova has been struggling a lot this year with their 13-13 record overall, barely staying above .500, and they are only 7-8 in their conference games as they haven't played well against Big East opponents. They have also been terrible in their road games though as they are 3-7 in road games and even though they have won 3 games in a row entering this one, they haven't really beaten any great teams in those. Providence is a ranked team and they are going to show why they are one of the best teams in the Big East with their undefeated home record on the line here. The best way to place a bet here is on Providence to cover the spread in this game.

Villanova Providence Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, February 18, 2023 (4:30 pm ET start time) is Providence 78 Villanova 62.

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Villanova Wildcats: 18-27 ATS after a game where they covered the spread. 6-11 ATS after a combined score of 125 points or less. 14-7 OVER off a home win by 10 points or more.

Providence Friars: 24-14 ATS when the total is 130 to 139.5. 10-2 ATS after scoring 85 points or more. 43-21 OVER as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points.

Villanova Wildcats:  N. Njoku (F) Out indefinitely - Foot.

Providence Friars:  Q. Berry (G) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed.

“I thought our defensive effort, from start to finish, was unbelievable.” - Kyle Neptune after his team’s win against Butler in their last game. 

“Devin affects the game in a number of different ways. You hear about all these different players around the country defensively. I wouldn’t take one player in America defensively — not one. We put him on everyone. We may put him on Julius Erving if he comes out of retirement. This man here is a stud defensively.” - Ed Cooley after his team’s win against Creighton in their last game. 

C. Arcidiacono 

C. Daniels 

E. Dixon 

J. Longino 

B. Slater 

J. Bynum 

D. Carter 

E. Croswell 

B. Hopkins 

N. Locke

PPG: C. Daniels (16)

APG: C. Daniels (2.6)

Reb/G: E. Dixon (6.6)

PPG: B. Hopkins (16.8)

APG: J. Bynum (4.6)

Reb/G: B. Hopkins (9.2)

Coaches:

Villanova Wildcats: Kyle Neptune (1st season)

Providence Friars: Ed Cooley (12th season)