St. Mary's at Villanova Expert NCAA Basketball Picks 3/21/2019

Thursday, March 21, 2019

XL Center

Get todays College basketball odds and lines on this game.

The St. Mary's Gaels head to XL Center to take on the Villanova Wildcats on Thursday, March 21, 2019. The opening line for this game has Villanova as 4 point favorites.

St. Mary's comes into this game with an overall record of 20-11. They currently have a point differential of 8.5 as they are averaging 72.9 points per game while giving up 64.4 per contest. Villanova has an overall record of 22-9. They are averaging 74.5 points per game and surrendering 67.1, good for a point differential of 7.4.

Valuable St. Mary's Gaels Betting Trends

The St. Mary's Gaels are 19-14-0 against the spread this season

The St. Mary's Gaels are 14-17-0 against the over/under this year

Important Villanova Wildcats Betting Trends

The Villanova Wildcats are 20-14-0 against the spread this season

The Villanova Wildcats are 11-19-1 against the over/under this year

Key St. Mary's Gaels Injuries

11/08/18 C Aaron Menzies Hand is out indefinitely
11/08/18 G Kristers Zoriks ACL is out for season

Key Villanova Wildcats Injuries

No key injuries to report

Player Spotlight

Jordan Ford comes into this game averaging 21.3 points per contest while playing 36.8 minutes per night this year. He grabs 2.8 rebounds per contest and distributes 2.5 assists per game. His FG percentage is 43% while his free throw percentage is 80%. Malik Fitts averages 15.3 points per contest in 30.6 minutes per game. He averages 1.1 assists per game and 7.6 rebounds per contest. His field goal percentage is 48% for the season while his free throw percentage is 78%.

Player Spotlight

Phil Booth scores 18.6 points per contest while playing 35.1 minutes per game. He hauls in 3.9 rebounds per contest and has 3.8 assists per game on the season. His FG percentage is 43% and his free throw percentage is at 74%. Eric Paschall averages 16.5 points per game this year and he sees the court an average of 36.1 minutes per game. He also brings in 6.2 rebounds per game and has 2.2 assists per contest. His field goal percentage is 45% and his free throw percentage is 75%.

Useful Team Statistics

St. Mary's averages 72.9 points per contest, which is 159th in D-1. Their average scoring margin is 8.5 and their shooting percentage is 47% as a unit, which has them ranked 42nd. From 3-point territory they shoot 38%, which is good for 36th in the nation. They average 34.8 boards per contest and 10.1 assists per game, which ranks them 215th and 346th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they are 335th with 10.5 per game. The Gaels allow 64.4 points per contest, which is 29th in the NCAA. They also surrender a 44% shooting percentage and a 32% average from 3-point range, ranking them 172nd and 52nd in defensive field goal percentage. Opponents average 29.1 rebounds a game which ranks 4th, and they allow 10.1 assists per game which puts them in 12th place in the country. They force 10.6 turnovers per game which ranks them 16th in Division 1.

Useful Team Statistics

Villanova is 122nd in the nation with 74.5 points per contest this season. They are 202nd in the country in shooting at 44%, while their average scoring margin is 7.4. They shoot 35% from beyond the arc, which is good for 127th in the NCAA. They are 182nd in D-1 in rebounding with 35.3 boards per contest and 107th in assists per game with 14.3. The Wildcats are 321st in turnovers per contest with 10.9. The Wildcats give up 67.1 points per game, which ranks them 62nd in Division 1. Their defense surrenders a 43% shooting percentage and a 34% average from behind the 3-point line, ranking them 154th and 130th in those defensive statistics. They rank 230th with 13.6 dimes allowed per game and 62nd with 32.6 boards surrendered per contest. The Wildcats are 60th in the nation in forcing turnovers with 11.6 per contest this year.

Advanced Statistics

The Gaels have an offensive rating of 112.6, which is ranked 25th. They are 343rd in college basketball in pace with 64.5 possessions per 40 minutes, and their eFG% of 54% is 54th. As a unit they are 54th in the nation in true shooting percentage with 57% and they shoot 3-pointers on 35% of their shot attempts, ranking 268th in D-1. St. Mary's is 321st in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 14.1 times per 100 possessions.

Advanced Statistics

Villanova is 312th in the country in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 14.2 times per 100 possessions. The Wildcats have an offensive rating of 112.9, which is ranked 20th. They are 333rd in D-1 in pace with 65.2 possessions per 40 minutes, and their eFG% of 53% is 76th. As a unit they are 65th in college basketball in true shooting percentage with 57% and they shoot 3-pointers on 54% of their shot attempts, ranking 3rd in the country.

Who will win tonight's St. Mary's/Villanova college basketball game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take St. Mary's +4

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