The Connecticut Huskies (16-2) travel to face off against the Villanova Wildcats (11-6) on Saturday, January 20th. This game will be played at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and televised on FS1. Connecticut is coming off a win in their previous game, while Villanova is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Marquette. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.
Connecticut Huskies vs Villanova Wildcats
The Connecticut Huskies Are Coming Off A Win
Connecticut enters this game with a record of 16-2, including a six-game winning streak. They are 6-1 in Big East play compared to 10-1 in non-conference games. On the road, the Huskies are 4-2 this season, and their average scoring margin is +2.7.
Coming off a 62-48 victory over Creighton, Connecticut has gone 7-3 in their last 10 road games. For the season, the Huskies are a perfect 12-0 at home, compared to 4-2 on the road. They have been favored in 17 of their 18 games, going 16-1 in those contests.
As the favorite, Connecticut has an ATS record of 10-6-1 this season. On the road, their ATS mark is 3-2-1 and over their last 10 games as the favorite, they are 6-3-1 vs. the spread.
This season, the over/under record for Connecticut games is 10-8. So far, their games have averaged 146.4 points compared to an average over/under line of 146.3, resulting in a margin of +0.1 points. Today’s over/under line of 136.5 is lower than the average scoring in their games this year, but their last three games have averaged 137 points.
The Villanova Wildcats Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Through 17 games, Villanova has an 11-6 record, including a 4-2 mark in Big East play. At home, the Wildcats are 8-3, and they have gone 2-1 in their last three games at home.
As the underdog, Villanova is 2-1 this season, and they have gone 9-5 when favored. So far, the Wildcats have been the underdog in three of their games.
As the underdog this season, Villanova has a 2-1 record vs. the spread. Their overall ATS mark is 9-8 and they are 6-5 vs. the spread at home this year. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Wildcats have gone 5-5 vs. the spread.
On the season, the over/under record for Villanova games sits at 7-9-1, and today’s line of 136.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (138.8). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0, and the average scoring total in those contests is 158 points. So far, 11 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line.
Connecticut Offense Breakdown
Compared to their season average of 81.9 points per game, Connecticut struggled in their previous game. Against Creighton, the Huskies scored 62 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 35.7%. For the season, the Connecticut offense has been one of the more efficient shooting teams in the NCAA with a field goal percentage of 49%. So far, they have hit 59% of their looks from inside the arc, and are averaging 8.7 made three’s per contest.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Spencer (G) | 15.5 | 4.3 | 3.2 |
| Alex Karaban (F) | 15.3 | 5.8 | 1.7 |
| Tristen Newton (G) | 14.9 | 6.5 | 6.1 |
Villanova Offense Breakdown
The Villanova offense is coming off a game where they scored 74 points against Marquette. They posted a field goal percentage of 47.2% and connected on 14 threes. Offensively, the Wildcats hold a season-long field goal percentage of 42%, placing them 326th in the national rankings. When it comes to three-pointers, they are ranked 201st in terms of percentage and 29th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Dixon (F) | 15.3 | 6.4 | 1.4 |
| TJ Bamba (G) | 9.3 | 3.9 | 2.0 |
| Tyler Burton (F) | 8.7 | 7.8 | 1.0 |
Connecticut Team Defense
So far, the Huskies’ defense is ranked 29th in the country at 64.6 points per contest. In today’s game, the Connecticut defense will be looking to once again do a good job defending the three-point line, as they gave up just 5 three-pointers while giving up 48 points.
Villanova Team Defense
At present, the Wildcats’ defense is nationally ranked 58th, allowing 66.4 points per game. On average, opposing teams are hitting 7.8 threes per game vs. Connecticut. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 34.4%.
Huskies vs Wildcats Trends
- When looking at their past ten road matchups, Connecticut has an ATS record of 6-3-1 while averaging 76 per game. The team went 7-3 overall in these games.
- When looking at their past three matchups at home, Villanova has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 75 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
- Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 4-6. But, their mark vs the spread was just 5-5.
- Connecticut has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 5-0 SU and 5-0 ATS in their last five games.
Huskies vs Wildcats Prediction
Coming in as the underdogs at +2, we have the Wildcats as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 136.5 and our model has the Huskies and Wildcats finishing with a combined 142 points. Our pick is to take the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 20, 2024 UConn Huskies, Uncategorized, Villanova Wildcats