Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright has built a powerhouse program with the betting lines NCAA Basketball in his 16 years on the job. Wright has produced a program that has made the NCAA Tournament in 12 out of the last 13 seasons with two Final Fours and a national title in 2016. Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie has posted a national championship in his own right but has failed to capitalize on it. Ollie now faces criticism for winning the title with former head coach Jim Calhoun’s recruits. Connecticut will host Villanova on Saturday.
Villanova Wildcats vs. Connecticut Huskies
Date and Time: Saturday, January 20, 2018, 12:00 p.m. Eastern
Location: Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, Connecticut
NCAA Basketball Odds at SBG: (Click Here)
Wildcats vs. Huskies TV Coverage: CBS
The Villanova Wildcats are 17-1 straight up and 12-6 against the spread. The Wildcats have gone over the total in 11 out of 18 games. The Wildcats are 4-2 against the spread on the road. Villanova is coming off an 88-56 win and payout at Georgetown. Villanova ranks seventh in the nation for scoring offense at 88.3 points per game. Junior guard Jalen Brunson leads the Wildcats with 18.8 points per game. Brunson had 18 points and seven assists at Georgetown. Villanova has gone under the total in three straight games. Villanova is 5-1 straight up in Big East Conference play. That is good for first place in the conference.
The UConn Huskies
The UConn Huskies are 10-8 straight up and just 6-9 against the spread. UConn has gone under the total in eight out of 15 games. UConn is just 2-4 against the spread at home. The Huskies are just 3-3 in American Athletic Conference games. UConn has become a loser with the betting lines NCAA Basketball because of an anemic offense. The Huskies rank 298th in the nation for scoring at 68.8 points per game. Junior guard Jalen Adams has been the one bright spot for UConn. Adams leads the Huskies with 19.5 points per game.
The Huskies are coming off a terrible 49-73 loss at the Memphis Tigers. UConn has gone under the total for the three straight games. Ollie in some ways is a victim of his own early success. He took over a scandal ridden program that forced the legendary Calhoun into retirement. Ollie led UConn to the 2014 national title in just his second year as head coach. The championship was won with many of Calhoun’s fully ripened recruits. Now doubts are creeping in about Ollie’s ability to sustain the success of the UConn program. Last year UConn finished 16-17 and out of the post season. Improvement has been marginal this season.
Team vs Team Stats
UConn has covered just three out of their last 11 games against Villanova. Nine out of the last 12 meetings between UConn and Villanova have gone over the total.
Villanova has been an exceptional sportsbook online value at Connecticut. The Wildcats have come away with the money in their last four visits to UConn. The Wildcats and Huskies have gone under the total in their last two meetings at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.
Matchup to Watch
This matchup features the mismatch of the high-flying Villanova offense against the plodding UConn unit. The Huskies are overmatched with the betting Lines NCAA Basketball in offensive firepower.
Wildcats vs. Huskies NCAA Basketball Picks
Villanova is the pick in this one based on their clearly superior offense. The recent performance of these two teams also favors Villanova.
NCAA Basketball Betting Pick: Villanova Wildcats
NCAA Basketball Betting Score Prediction: Villanova 77, Connecticut 61