The Connecticut Huskies have a forecast 80% chance to win against The Villanova Wildcats with a spread of -7.0/7.0 and an over/under of 142.5. The Connecticut Huskies are 0 – 1 against The Villanova Wildcats in the 2021-22 Season.
— Tuesday, February 22nd Villanova Wildcats @ Connecticut Huskies
With three games left in their Big East schedule, the No. 7 Villanova Wildcats (21-6, 14-3) control their own destiny to claim another conference title. The first team standing in their way are the No. 21 Connecticut Huskies (19-7, 10-5), who have won three straight home games. Tuesday’s game tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET at the XL Center in Hartford, airing on FS1.
Earlier this month, the Wildcats knocked off UConn at home 85-74, their fifth straight win in the series. Though they didn’t play annually while UConn was out of the Big East, these teams have a storied rivalry, with Villanova leading 37-31 since 1951. The Wildcats haven’t been to Hartford since 2018 but have won their last two games in Connecticut.
Villanova Looking for Title
Villanova is 14-13 ATS, and the under is 14-13 in their 27 games, making them a hard team to bet on. They are 7-4 in true road games and 10-5 away from home on the season. The Wildcats are 6-4 against ranked teams this season, with wins over UConn and Providence in the last 18 days.
Villanova ranks 111th in the nation in scoring at 73.7 ppg. They are the best free-throw shooting team in the country at 82.8% and rank 64th in 3-point shooting at 36.2%. Defensively they rank 35th in scoring (65.1 ppg) and 52nd in FG defense at 40.9%,
In the first game against UConn, Eric Dixon led the way with 24 points while Collin Gillespie scored 19 and Caleb Daniels had 16. Villanova was +8 on the glass and made 21-of-22 free throws for a seven-point advantage at the line.
Gillespie leads the way at 16.6 ppg on the season while guard Justin Moore averages 15.5. Jermaine Samuels is also in double figures at 10.1 ppg to go with 6.1 rpg, and Dixon averages 9.9 ppg and a team-best 6.6 rpg. Gillespie has made 76 free throws and 85 3-pointers on the season, shooting 93% from the line and 43% from distance.
Cole Leads Huskies
UConn is 12-14 ATS, and the over is 16-10 in their 26 games. They are 12-2 at home this season with a three-game winning streak. They covered at home against Xavier over the weekend, winning by 11 and covering by four.
UConn is 2-3 against ranked teams this season, 1-2 in February. They still have four games left in Big East play, but after Tuesday, they only face one team with a winning record when they travel to Creighton next week.
The Huskies rank 54th nationally at 76.5 ppg, and they shoot 35% from deep, ranking 119th. The defense ranks 63rd in scoring at 65.1 ppg and 20th overall, allowing 39.6% field goal shooting. They average 41.4 rebounds per game, top 10 in the nation.
R.J. Cole leads the Huskies at 16.2 ppg with Adama Sanogo at 15.1. Tyrese Martin is also in double figures at 13.6 ppg, while Sanogo leads the team with 8.6 rpg. Cole averages 4.3 assists per game and leads the team with 45 3-pointers made.
In the first game against Nova, Cole had 25 points while Sanogo and Martin both had 14. UConn hit 8-of-20 from 3-point range but allowed Villanova to shoot 59% from the field.
Betting Analysis
- Villanova Wildcats +2 (-110) Money Line +115
- Connecticut Huskies -2 (-110) Money Line -135
- Total Points: 138.5 Over -110 Under -110
These are two good defensive teams, but when they played three weeks ago, both teams shot over 80%, and the game featured 159 points. The over is very intriguing here given the way the first game went, and both teams have scored at a good clip since then. The Wildcats have won five in a row, and the play here is that they make it six.
Betting Pick: Villanova ML (+115)
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