The No. 6 Villanova Wildcats (26-9), 3.5-point underdogs, meet the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers (24-9) in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament at XL Center. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 137 points and it begins at 8:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 23, 2019.
Villanova Wildcats vs. Purdue Boilermakers ATS Odds
Both teams covered as favorites in the First Round. The Boilermakers (12.5-point favorites) defeated the No. 14 Old Dominion Monarchs 61-48, while the Wildcats (3.5-point favorites) beat the No. 11 Saint Mary’s Gaels 61-57. The Purdue game went 17.5 points under the projected point total of 126.5, while the Villanova game finished 9 points under the projected point total of 127.
Villanova dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.102 (matching their season average) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.571 (above their season average of 0.534). Saint Mary’s was 0.055 and 0.491, respectively, for those same stats. Meanwhile, Purdue’s free throw rate was their biggest strength over Old Dominion. The Boilermakers had a rate of 0.226 (above their season average of 0.215), while the Monarchs posted a mark of 0.090 (below their season average of 0.195). Purdue was led by Carsen Edwards, who recorded 26 points and seven rebounds. Phil Booth played a key role for Villanova with 20 points and six assists.
Games featuring the Wildcats tend to finish under the projected point total (57.1 percent). Villanova comes into the contest with records of 26-9 straight up (SU) and 21-14 against the spread (ATS).
In opposition of Villanova, a little over half of Boilermakers games have finished over the total. Further, Purdue owns records of 24-9 SU and 18-15 ATS.
This battle figures to be a high-scoring affair as a pair of the country’s top offenses face off. Purdue ranks 17th with 114.6 points per 100 possessions and Villanova is 27th (113.2).
Villanova Wildcats vs. Purdue Boilermakers Odds Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Purdue, ATS Winner – Purdue, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Villanova ranks fifth in three pointers attempted per game (29.8) while Purdue ranks 212th in three pointers allowed per game (23.4).
- The Boilermakers rank 34th in rebounds allowed per game (31.9) while the Wildcats rank 69th (32.9).
- Purdue is 15th in the country with 4.9 steals allowed per game while Villanova is 41st with 5.3 steals allowed per game.
- The Wildcats rank 15th in blocks allowed per game (2.3) while the Boilermakers rank 187th (3.8).
- Purdue ranks 82nd in assists per game (14.4) while Villanova ranks 183rd in assists allowed per game (13.5).
Bettings Trends:
- The Boilermakers are 3-2 ATS over their last five games, while the Wildcats are 2-3.
- In their last five games, Purdue has 3 overs and 2 unders, while Villanova has 4 overs and 1 under.
- During their last five games, the Boilermakers have scored an average of 71.8 points per game (3.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 60.8 points per game (5.4 below their season average).
- The Wildcats’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 3.4, down from 7.3 for the season.
