Villanova vs. St. Joseph’s Pick
Can No. 4 Villanova keep its unbeaten record going and pick up a comfortable win over Saint Joseph’s when the two meet today at 5:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Villanova is favored today, as the Wildcats are getting odds of -14 points against St. Joe’s. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 147 points. Today’s game is set to take place from Hagen Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and will air live on ESPN2.
Villanova is rolling along this season, starting 7-0 following a 90-62 win over Penn. The Wildcats have covered the spread in five of their seven wins, but this will mark their first true road game. Nova is putting up 85.3 points per game on offense while allowing just 62.9 points per game. Jalen Brunson is leading the team with 18.4 points and 4.3 assists per game while Mikal Bridges is putting up 17.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Saint Joseph’s is coming off an 83-70 win over Bucknell earlier this week to improve to 4-3 on the season. The Hawks are 2-4 against the spread this season and 1-0 ATS at home. St. Joe’s is averaging 77.6 points per game on offense while giving up 75.6 points per game on defense. Shavar Newkirk is averaging 17.4 points per game to lead the Hawks while James Demery is adding 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest.
Bet on Villanova vs. Saint Joseph’s
Villanova has won five straight meetings with St. Joe’s, going 4-0-1 against the spread in those five games. The Wildcats are deep, with five players averaging double figures in scoring. St. Joe’s just doesn’t have to same scoring capability. While the Hawks may be up for this game in the early going, I don’t see them being able to match the Wildcats throughout the contest. St. Joe’s is just 0-6-1 ATS in their last 7 against Big East teams. The public betting is strongly with Villanova today and I think the Wildcats will be able to cover as well.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: VILLANOVA -14