College Basketball Picks, Odds & Predictions: Butler vs. Villanova
Butler vs. Villanova Predictions
Bet: Villanova -13 @ -108
Despite being ranked #7 in the country, there is a serious argument to be made that Villanova is underrated as one of the top three or four teams. I have Gonzaga as the clear #1, followed by Baylor, and then I get into an argument between Iowa and Nova for the third best team in college basketball.
Senior guard Collin Gillespie is one of the best veteran guards in the country. He’s averaging 15.2 points, 4.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He gives the Wildcats that veteran guard presence that is needed in order to make deep postseason runs. Sophomore Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has looked dominant at times and has disappeared at others. I expect a big showing from him tonight after scoring just nine points in Friday’s win over Georgetown.
Add guards Caleb Daniels and Justin Moore to the mix, and Nova has four players that can put the ball in the basket at a high clip, and most importantly they do it efficiently.
We don’t know a ton about this year’s Butler team. They beat Western Michigan in their season opener on November 25 and haven’t played a game since, as three of their games have been postponed. Not having played a game in three weeks and having to end that break with a team like Villanova is a tough ask.
Butler doesn’t have the kind of scoring that Villanova has on its roster. If Butler had been playing consistently through December, I’d give some thought to this line, but I like a big Nova win on Wednesday.
Duke vs. Notre Dame Predictions
Bet: Notre Dame +3.5 @ -110
We’re four games into the 2020 Duke Men’s Basketball season and I have already sworn off betting on them. If you’ve watched any of the Blue Devils this season, you know why.
The Blue Devils may be 2-2 on the season, but they haven’t covered the spread once yet. That’s right, they’re 0-4 ATS this season. Last time out, they were completely dismantled by a good Illinois team, but they beat a very bad Coppin State team by just 10 and let Bellarmine hang around. Coach K is already coming up with excuses why his team has underperformed, and all this is leading me to tell you to back Notre Dame tonight.
My biggest concern here is Matthew Hurt. The sophomore big man averages 19 points and 8.3 points per game this year for the Blue Devils. Despite Duke looking terrible, Hurt has been great.
Even though they'll have to deal with Hurt, I think Notre Dame can keep this game close and potentially win outright. We saw them give Ohio State everything they could handle a week ago and they defeated a Kentucky team in the midst of a down year on Saturday. Look for Prentiss Hubb to have a big game and for the Irish to cover the 3.5.