The No. 9 Villanova Wildcats (15-3, 5-1 Big East) put their five-game winning streak on the line when they square off against the Providence Friars (11-9, 4-3 Big East) at Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The game begins at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 25, 2020.
Villanova Wildcats vs. Providence Friars Betting Prediction
In the Wildcats’ last outing, they topped the No. 13 Butler Bulldogs, 76-61. The Wildcats made 21 of their 23 free throws (91.3 percent) and held the Bulldogs to an offensive rebounding percentage of 22.0 (below their season average of 29.0). Jeremiah Robinson-Earl was a key piece for Villanova with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
The Friars lost to the No. 10 Seton Hall Pirates in their last outing, 73-64. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Seton Hall’s biggest advantages. They had 25 free throw attempts, while Providence had 16. Alpha Diallo put together a solid game for Providence, leading the team in scoring with 13 points on 5-for-14 shooting.
Providence could have trouble getting to the foul line in this matchup. The Friars currently rank 154th in the NCAA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.231, while Villanova ranks 13th in FTA rate allowed (0.152). Furthermore, the Wildcats commit the 32nd-fewest errors in the NCAA (turnover percentage of 16.6 percent), while the pesky defense of the Friars causes the 43rd-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 23.0 percent).
After the Wildcats won all three matchups against the Friars last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent game, Villanova won 73-62. Villanova’s rebounding was their largest advantage. The Wildcats had more offensive rebounds (12 vs. five) and total rebounds (36 vs. 29).
Villanova Wildcats vs. Providence Friars ATS Pick
Free Pick: ATS Winner – Villanova, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
Providence ranks 40th in assists per game (15.4) while Villanova ranks 134th in assists allowed per game (12.6).
The Wildcats’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 8.8, up from 8.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Friars have scored an average of 68.0 points per game (3.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 71.8 points per game (5.0 above their season average).
