The Villanova Wildcats are second in the Big East with a 24-3 overall and 12-2 conference record with four games left in the regular season. Villanova trails the No. 9 Creighton Bluejays by half a game in the standings but are ranked one spot ahead of its conference rival in the AP rankings. The Wildcats are one of those teams that could make a deep run in this year’s NCAA Tournament, and they are getting a solid +2200 title odds from Sportsbook.ag.

The Butler Bulldogs are 2-13 in the Big East and no longer have that “Cinderella” magic from a few years past. The team has not been the same since former coach Brad Stevens left for the NBA to coach the Boston Celtics. Butler is sitting on a 12-15 overall record and is tied for last place in the conference. Let’s take a closer look at Wednesday’s game with picks, predictions and analysis.

Butler Bulldogs at Villanova Wildcats Betting Story Lines

Villanova has lost to only two teams this season--once to Syracuse and twice to Creighton—and outside of those games the Wildcats have been nothing but dominant. The team is averaging 80 points per game on the strength of its four double-digit scorers and the 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists from senior guard James Bell. Villanova is also receives similar production from its starting forward JayVaughn Pinkston, who averages 14.7 points, six rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Wildcats.

The most important stat for Villanova, according to bettors at least, is that the team covers spreads. The Wildcats have a 17-8 overall ATS record, but they are on a three-game ATS losing streak. The No. 8 team in the nation is coming off two tight wins against Providence and St. John’s and a blowout loss against Creighton last week. Villanova, however, has covered three straight double-digit spreads.

Butler is on a tough six-game losing streak and has dropped eight of its last 10 matchups. The team is coming off a six-point loss to Providence over the weekend in a matchup where the Bulldogs played a solid second half of basketball but were unable to overcome a large 13-point first-half deficit. Butler struggled from long range and missed 12 3-pointers on the night and was able to grab only 28 rebounds during the game, which is an area that the team has struggled with all season.
 
Butler is a poor shooting and rebounding team, which is one of the main causes behind its poor record SU and ATS. The Bulldogs are 11-13-1 ATS and have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five games. The squad only has two double-digit scorers and is being led by the 16.9 points and 3.7 rebounds of Kellen Dunham.

Butler Bulldogs at Villanova Wildcats NCAA Betting Odds and Key Trends

Villanova opened as a 14.5-point favorite over the underdog Bulldogs at BetOnline. Villanova is 6-0 ATS in its last six Wednesday games and 12-2 ATS in its last 14 games against teams with losing SU records. The team is 5-1 ATS in its last six home games against teams with losing road records and 18-6 ATS in its last 24 home games. Villanova is also 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games following an ATS loss.

Butler is 5-1 ATS in its last six Wednesday games and 19-9 in its last 28 games following an ATS loss. The squad, however, is only 1-4 in its last five games following a SU loss, 1-4-1 ATS in its last six overall games and 1-5-1 ATS in its last seven road games.

Butler Bulldogs at Villanova Wildcats Free College Basketball Picks and Predictions

Villanova is a huge favorite at 14.5 points for Wednesday’s matchup against Butler. The Wildcats, however, score a lot of points, play solid defense, and, most importantly, grab rebounds, which is one of Butler’s biggest weaknesses. The Bulldogs are a poor shooting team from the field and won’t be able to get any easy buckets against Villanova. Expect Butlers’ losing streak to continue as Villanova wins the game and covers the spread.

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