Alabama vs. Villanova Prediction
Did oddsmakers set the over/under for Saturday’s Alabama and Villanova second-round March Madness matchup too low?
Game Snapshot
(525) Alabama vs. (526) Villanova
Saturday, March 17, 2018
TV: CBS, 12:10 p.m. ET
CURRENT ODDS
According to oddsmakers from online sports book YouWager, the Wildcats are 11-point favorites to knock off the Crimson Tide in today’s matchup. As for the total, the number sits at 148.5 points.
LINE MOVEMENT
The point spread has not moved off the original number of 11 but the betting total has climbed slightly from 148 to 148.5 at the majority of online sportsbooks.
Bet Tonight’s College Hoops Action
PUBLIC BETTING INFORMATION
As of Saturday morning, 69% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Wildcats to cover the point spread. Meanwhile, 78% of the betting tickets are on the over.
KEY INJURIES
Villanova currently does not have a player listed on its injury report ahead of today’s tip-off. That said, Alabama has two players out for the year: Riley Norris (hip) and Ar’Mond Davis (knee). Both have been out for over a month.
BETTING STRATEGY
The over is too good to pass up when Villanova is in action. The Wildcats average 87.1 points per game, which is the most in the nation and is on pace to be the team’s most since joining the Big East in 1980-81. ‘Nova led Division I in adjusted offensive efficiency at 127.7 and adjusted net efficiency at 35.0.
Meanwhile, Alabama is led by an offensive force in Collin Sexton, who is projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Entering the tournament, he had 15 20-point games, which was the second-most in the SEC behind Georgia’s Yante Maten (17). Including Thursday’s opening-round win over Virginia Tech, Sexton now has 16 20-point games. These two teams shouldn’t struggle to score this afternoon.
SATURDAY MARCH MADNESS COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREDICTION: ALABAMA/VILLANOVA OVER 148.5