The Wildcats are in a race to secure more wins and make it to March Madness, while an appearance at the tournament is not even theoretically possible for the Bulldogs. Villanova has a 13-11 overall record and arrives at Capital One Arena in Washington as a 10-point favorite for tonight's February 16th Big East conference clash.
Bookie apps have no confidence in the home team, Georgetown, especially after they fell to an 8-16 record. This will be the first game between these two teams this season, and BetMGM sports promo codes are available for betting. Stay tuned for the odds and a breakdown of both NCAA teams' performances.
Defense Is Villanova’s Strength
The Wildcats might have the better overall record, but within the Big East conference, they are 6-7, and as a road team this season, Villanova has a 2-6 record. The team holds the 8th seed in the Big East and has to win all of its remaining games to have a chance to play at the March Madness tournaments. Villanova won 80- 54 against Seton Hall on Saturday, showcasing their defensive abilities.
The Wildcats have held opponents to 66.5 points per contest, ranking 2nd in the conference in that stat category. That average can even improve, considering their opponents have scored less than 60 points in their last three games. Playing defense is important, but it has to work in tandem with offensive play, and Vilanova generates 72.5 points per game on average, with low shooting percentages, 42.4% from the field and 33.3% from the three-point line.
Accuracy from beyond the arc might not be the best, but Villanova is persistent, scoring 9.2 three-pointers per game, the second most in the Big East. Senior forward Eric Dixon leads the team with 15.8 points per night, TJ Bamba contributes 10.5 points per game, and forward Tyler Burton controls the boards with six rebounds and 8.3 points per game.
Georgetown Is Not Dangerous
Prospects are bleak for the Hoyas, and a nine-game losing streak will do that to a team. To be fair, six of their last 13 games have been against top 25 ranked teams. However, the issues are getting bigger as the offense regresses, scoring 67.8 points in their last five games, below their season average of 71.6 points. Their shooting efficiency is similar to Villanova's, with 41.6% from the field and 33.9% from the three-point line. The defense concedes 77.2 points per game and steals 5.9 balls, blocking 3.4 shots a game.
Players that might create problems for the Wildcats are Jayden Epps, who has a habit of scoring 17.6 points per game, Dontrez Styles, with his 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, and Supreme Cook, who posts 11.7 points and 8.2 rebounds a night.
Betting Prediction
Road games against a conference opponent are rarely a layup, but the odds offered by betting sites with free bets indicate such a situation for this Friday night game. The odds for a moneyline bet are -535 on the Wildcats winning and +400 betting line for Georgetown to stage a surprise.
The 10-point spread receives -108 odds on the Wildcats to cover as a favorite and -112 odds on the Hoyas to cover as an underdog. The total is 139.5 points with a -112 betting line for the Over and -108 odds for the Under bet. Villanova’s strong defense should prevent them from slipping up at Capital One Arena.
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