Villanova vs. Butler Pick
Will No. 1 Villanova face a possible upset when it goes on the road to take on Butler today at 4PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Villanova is favored on the road. The Wildcats are getting odds of -6 points against Butler, while the over/under total has been set at 146 points. Today’s game takes place from Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana and will air live on CBS.
Villanova is off to a perfect 13-0 start to the season. That includes a 103-85 win over DePaul to open Big East play earlier this week. The Wildcats are 10-3 against the spread this season, covering in eight of their last nine games. Novia is averaging 87.8 points per game on offense while allowing just 65.8 per game. Jalen Brunson is leading the team with 17.9 points and 5 assists per game while Mikal Bridges is adding 17.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest.
Butler has won three straight and eight of its last nine. That includes a 91-89 OT win at Georgetown earlier this week. The Bulldogs are now 11-3 overall while posting a 7-6 record against the spread. Butler has failed to cover in three of its last four games. The Bulldogs are scoring 78.6 points per game this season while allowing 67.6 per contest. Kelan Martin is leading Butler with 18.6 points and 7 rebounds per game while Kamar Baldwin is adding 14.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest.
Butler has won its last two meetings with Villanova and the Bulldogs have covered the spread in three straight in this series. However, Villanova has been very impressive this season. The Wildcats have stepped up against tough teams and continued to cover spreads. Butler can’t say the same. Even at home, I don’t think the Bulldogs have to roster to compete with the Wildcats today. The public betting is heavily behind Villanova and I think the Wildcats will cover on the road.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: VILLANOVA -6