The No. 9 Villanova Wildcats (14-3, 4-1 Big East) welcome the No. 13 Butler Bulldogs (15-3, 3-2 Big East) in a matchup that pits outstanding offense against tremendous defense. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
Butler Bulldogs at Villanova Wildcats Betting Prediction
In the Bulldogs’ last game, they were beaten by the DePaul Blue Demons, 79-66. Getting to the free throw line was one of DePaul’s largest strengths. They had 32 free throw attempts, while Butler had 19. Kamar Baldwin led Butler in scoring with 16 points on 6-for-16 shooting.
The Wildcats were victorious over the UConn Huskies in their last matchup, 61-55. Villanova’s free throw rate was their largest strength over UConn. The Wildcats had a rate of 0.245 (above their season average of 0.201), while the Huskies posted a mark of 0.059 (below their season average of 0.249). Jermaine Samuels was the game’s top scorer with 19 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field.
After the Wildcats won both contests against the Bulldogs last season, these teams will go head-to-head for the first time this year. In the last game, Villanova won 75-54. The Wildcats made 14 of their 19 free throws (73.7 percent) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.610 vs. 0.418).
This showdown pits one of the NCAA’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses. Villanova currently ranks 37th in offensive efficiency and Butler ranks 15th in defensive efficiency.
Butler at Villanova Odds Pick
College Basketball Pick: ATS Winner – Villanova, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
Villanova ranks 24th in three pointers attempted per game (27.6) while Butler ranks 223rd (19.7).
The Wildcats rank 37th in assists per game (15.5) while the Bulldogs rank 125th (13.3).
Butler ranks fourth in rebounds allowed per game (28.7) while Villanova ranks 76th (33.4).
The Bulldogs’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 1.4, down from 11.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Wildcats have scored an average of 68.8 points per game (6.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 65.2 points per game (1.6 below their season average).
