[gambcom-standard rankid=”4141″ ]
The UConn Huskies (12-3, 4-0 Big East) and Villanova Wildcats (10-5, 3-1) tussle Wednesday in Philadelphia. The opening tip at Finneran Pavilion will be at 6:30 p.m. ET (FS1). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s college basketball odds around the UConn vs. Villanova odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
Connecticut, which is No. 10 in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, squeaked by the Providence Friars in its last game Sunday at home. The favored-by-14.5 Huskies won 87-84. Efficient perimeter shooting has led UConn to an 8-0 mark since it lost 3 straight games in late-November. The Huskies have shot 38.2% from distance over those last 8 games.
Villanova played its last game on Saturday, and the Wildcats tallied a season-high in scoring in a 100-56 rout of the 9-point-underdog DePaul Blue Demons. VU went 16-of-27 (59.3%) from beyond the arc; since Nov. 27, the Wildcats have gone 7-1 while shooting 44.2% on 3s.
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+
UConn at Villanova odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of college basketball odds. Lines last updated at 8:22 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: UConn -115 (bet $115 to win $100) | Villanova -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): UConn -1.5 (-105) | Villanova +1.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 146.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
[gambcom-standard rankid=”4132″ ]
UConn at Villanova picks and predictions
Prediction
Villanova 73, UConn 72
Villanova is on an excellent trend line, and early-season misfires look to be far back in the rearview mirror. The Wildcats are a veteran team that has acted accordingly at home.
UConn is perhaps overrated in being ranked at all. The Huskies and Wildcats are statistically and stylistically very similar, and VILLANOVA -105 is the value side of this midweek Big East clash.
Against the spread
A level-price +1.5 play (-110 on the outlay) would be worth a look. PASS otherwise.
Over/Under
These are 2 bottom-third squads when it comes to tempo, and recent series meetings totaled in the 130s have hit the Under.
Both teams take care to avoid turnovers and neither figures to crank out a slew of looks at the foul line. The Huskies and Wildcats both bomb it from 3-point-land and have highly efficient offenses. But both figure as due some regression on the shooting front.
In regular-season VU home games when the Wildcats are tabbed as underdogs, the Under has won 4 straight and is 6-1 since 2019.
Consider a partial-unit bet on the UNDER 146.5 (-105).
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
[gambcom-standard rankid=”6305″ ]
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / Recruiting / Transfer portal / College Football Playoffs / College Sports Wire / High School
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1667]