Offense meets defense when the No. 1 Villanova Wildcats (16-1, 4-1 Big East) visit Georgetown to take on the Hoyas (12-5, 2-4 Big East). Villanova opened as a 13.5-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 157 points. Action begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 17, 2018.
Villanova Wildcats at Georgetown Hoyas Free Preview
The Wildcats beat the St. John’s Red Storm in their last matchup, 78-71. Donte DiVincenzo was Villanova’s high scorer with 25 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Villanova dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a fantastic free throw rate of 0.358 (above their season average of 0.241) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 33.3 (above their season average of 28.5). St. John’s was 0.219 and 26.3, respectively, for those same stats.
In the Hoyas last game, they were beaten by the No. 13 Seton Hall Pirates, 74-61. Marcus Derrickson was Georgetown’s high scorer with 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Seton Hall had a better free throw rate (0.213 vs. 0.121). Georgetown, on the other hand, held the Pirates to an offensive rebounding percentage of 31.4 (below their season average of 36.6).
Georgetown does a solid job at getting to the charity stripe. They rank fifth in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.325), but Villanova is among the best in the nation at keeping opponents off the line (ranking eighth by allowing a FTA rate of 0.164). Furthermore, the Wildcats second-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 125.2) will clash against the Hoyas’ 42nd-ranked defense (defensive efficiency of 95.6).
These two teams are complete opposites in terms of the O/U total. Villanova games have finished over 62.5 percent of the time, while games including Georgetown have finished under 69.2 percent of the time. The Wildcats come into this game with much better straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 16-1 SU and 11-6 ATS, while the Hoyas are 12-5 SU and 6-7-1 ATS.
DiVincenzo has been on fire over the last five games for Villanova, averaging 13.6 points and 1.2 steals per game.
This is the first time these teams will meet this year. The Wildcats won both games played against each other last season. In the last contest, Villanova won 81-55. The Wildcats dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a superb turnover percentage of 9.4 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.537. The Hoyas recorded marks of 26.1 and 0.404, respectively, for those same stats.
Villanova Wildcats vs. Georgetown Hoyas Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Villanova, ATS Winner – Georgetown, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Hoyas rank 28th in assists per game (17.2) while the Wildcats rank 145th in assists allowed per game (13.8).
- Villanova ranks 47th in blocks allowed per game (2.8) while Georgetown ranks 84th (3.4).
- Villanova is 8-3 ATS on the road, while Georgetown is 3-6 ATS at home.
- In 11 road games, the Wildcats have 7 overs and 4 unders.
- The Hoyas have 6 unders and 2 overs in 9 home games.
- Villanova ranks 26th in three pointers attempted per game (27.0) while Georgetown ranks 210th (19.5).
- The Hoyas rank 14th in rebounds per game (41.1) while the Wildcats rank 171st (35.2).
- Villanova ranks 18th in steals allowed per game (4.8) while Georgetown ranks 161st (7.3).
Betting Trends:
- Georgetown is 2-2-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Villanova is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
- The Hoyas have been outscored by an average of 6.8 points in their last five games. For the season, Georgetown has defeated opponents by an average of 8.9 points.
- During their last five games, the Wildcats have scored an average of 92.6 points per game (4.3 above their season average) and allowed an average of 82.4 points per game (12.8 above their season average).
