Villanova Wildcats vs UConn Huskies Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/24/2024

Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Saturday, February 24, 2024

Venue:  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, CT

Where to Watch:  FOX

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Villanova +13.5, UConn -13.5; Over/Under:  131.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Villanova +13.5, UConn -13.5; Over/Under:  131.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Villanova +13.5, UConn -13.5; Over/Under:  131.5 points

Villanova Wildcats:  15-11 (8-7) (6th place, Big East)

UConn Huskies:  24-3 (14-2) (1st place, Big East)

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Villanova Wildcats:  4-1  last 5

UConn Huskies:  4-1  last 5

Villanova is entering this game with a 15-11 record overall, an 8-7 record in conference games, and they are 3-6 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Butler Bulldogs in their last game. Eric Dixon led the team in points per game in that game with 22 while Justin Moore and Brendan Hausen each were next on the team with 13. Eric Dixon and Tyler Burton each led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Eric Dixon and Tyler Burton each led the team in rebounds with 6. They were 49% from the field, 41.7% from 3-point range, and 100% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 72.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 65.9 PPG against them. Villanova has an ATS record of 15-11 this season and their O/U record is 11-15.

UConn is entering this game with a 24-3 record overall, a 14-2 conference record, and they are 14-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Creighton Bluejays in their last game. Tristen Newton led the team in points in that game with 27 while Donovan Clingan was next on the team with 12. Tristen Newton led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Tristen Newton led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 44.1% from the field, 18.8% from 3-point range, and 84.6% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 81.4 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 64.5 PPG against them. UConn has an ATS record of 16-11 this season and their O/U record is 14-12-1.

The current betting odds have UConn listed as a 13.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. UConn has looked really good in their games this season with their 24-3 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 25 teams in the country and also ranked as the best in the nation right now. They have looked great in the Big East this season with their 14-2 conference record which leads the conference and they have looked great on their home court with their 14-0 home record. Meanwhile, Villanova has looked good in their games this season with their 15-11 record overall and their 8-7 conference record which has them in the top half of the Big East. They have been a terrible road team though with their 3-6 road record and even though they have a winning record in the Big East right now, they aren't nearly as good as the teams at the top of the conference. They are also catching UConn at the worst time since UConn just had their long win streak snapped by Creighton in their last game and they will be looking to bounce back in a big way now that they are back on their home court. Villanova has been terrible in their road games this season and UConn is going to be looking to take out their frustrations from that loss in this game. The best way to place a bet here is on UConn to cover the spread in this game. 

Villanova UConn Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, February 24, 2024 (8:00 pm ET start time) is UConn 87 Villanova 67.

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Villanova Wildcats: 12-6 ATS as a road underdog of 10 or more points. 7-1 ATS when the total is 130 to 139.5. 22-15 ATS after 5 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers. 36-19 OVER after successfully covering the spread in 4 or more consecutive games. 12-7 OVER off a home win against a conference rival.

UConn Huskies: 3-7 ATS off a road loss against a conference rival. 17-24 ATS after a loss by 15 points or more. 27-13 OVER as a favorite of 10 or more points. 11-4 OVER in a home game where the total is 130 to 139.5. 5-1 OVER after a game forcing the opponent to commit 8 or less turnovers.

Villanova Wildcats:  Nnanna Njoku (F) Knee - Game Time Decision. Trey Patterson (F) Shoulder - Game Time Decision.

UConn Huskies:  None.

"I'm proud of our guys. I thought we withstood a pretty good run from them in the beginning. They were drilling some shots, some tough ones. Throughout the game they made some tough shots that were contested. They forced some turnovers and got some stops. Our guys were resilient. We were finally able to get a bit of breathing room." - Kyle Neptune after his team’s win against Butler in their last game on Tuesday.

“It kind of felt like we just ran into a buzz saw there.” - Dan Hurley after his team’s loss against Creighton in their last game on Tuesday.

M. Armstrong 

T. Bamba 

T. Burton 

E. Dixon 

J. Moore

S. Ball 

D. Clingan 

A. Karaban 

T. Newton 

C. Spencer

PPG: E. Dixon (15.9)

APG: M. Armstrong (2.2)

Reb/G: T. Burton (6.7)

PPG: T. Newton (15.4)

APG: T. Newton (5.7)

Reb/G: T. Newton (6.9)

Coaches:

Villanova Wildcats: Kyle Neptune (2nd season)

UConn Huskies: Dan Hurley (6th season)