Providence Friars vs Villanova Wildcats Prediction, 1/23/2021 College Basketball Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Providence Friars vs Villanova Wildcats

Date: Saturday, January 23, 2021

Location: Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, PA

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Providence (+6.5)

The Providence Friars (8-6) travel to Finneran Pavilion on Saturday where they'll meet the Villanova Wildcats (9-1). Villanova opens this matchup as 6.5-point favorites. The over/under has been set at 136.

Providence will take the court with a mark of 8-6 so far this season. The Friars are connecting on 32.5% on three-point attempts (86 of 265) and 72.5% from the charity stripe. They have an average of 74.1 points per game (134th in college basketball) while hitting 45.2% from the field. They turn it over 11.6 times per contest and as a squad are committing 17.4 personal fouls per contest. As a unit, Providence is collecting 35.7 rebounds per game and is sitting with 206 assists so far this year, which ranks 63rd in Division 1 in terms of passing the ball. Defensively, the Friars are able to force 12.2 turnovers per contest and they draw 17.6 personal fouls. The Friars are giving up a field goal percentage of 44.5% (366 of 822) and they relinquish 34.6 rebounds per game as a unit. They are ranked 268th in college basketball in allowing assists with 182 relinquished on the campaign. They surrender 32.1% on three-point shots and they are 218th in college hoops in points per game from their opponents (71.7).

The Providence Friars took the court against the Creighton Bluejays and took home the win by a score of 74-70 in their last game. Providence finished with a 44.6% field goal percentage (25 out of 56) and buried 5 of their 18 shots from beyond the arc. From the free throw line, the Friars converted 19 of their 26 tries for a rate of 73.1%. When discussing rebounding, they collected 39 with 10 of them being offensive. They also recorded 14 assists for the contest as well as earning 2 steals and 2 blocked shots. When talking about defending, Providence allowed the other team to shoot 44.6% from the floor on 25 out of 56 shooting. Creighton totaled 8 dimes and had 7 steals for the game. Additionally, the Bluejays totaled 28 rebounds (8 offensive, 20 defensive) and earned 2 rejections. Creighton went 66.7% from the free throw line by converting 16 of their 24 attempts. They also buried 4 of their 23 shots from distance.

Nate Watson is one player who was a factor in the matchup. He walked away with 29 points on 12 out of 19 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 34 mins played and also pulled down 6 rebounds. Watson finished shooting 63.2% from the field and also distributed 2 dimes. Another guy that was a determining factor in this contest for the Friars was Alyn Breed. He totaled 6 rebounds and also had 3 dimes. He ended up going 80.0% from the field for the game by connecting on 4-of-5 (15 points). When all was said and done, Breed was on the court for 34 minutes.

Villanova has a win-loss record of 9-1 on the campaign. The Wildcats commit 17.0 fouls per contest and they shoot 75.0% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 15.1 times per contest (90th in the country) and they turn the ball over 8.0 times per contest. Villanova has tallied 797 pts this season (79.7 per game) and they grab 34.1 rebounds per game. As an offense, the Wildcats are hitting on 47.5% from the field, which ranks them 63rd in college basketball. The Wildcats on the defensive side of the court are 120th in college basketball in points per game surrendered with 67.8. They are forcing 12.8 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 46.3% from the field (290th in the country). The Villanova defense allows 36.4% on 3-point attempts (83 of 228) and opponents are converting on 64.4% of their foul shots. They have relinquished 11.9 dimes and 31.2 rebounds per contest, ranking them 109th and 43rd in those defensive categories.

When they last stepped on the court, the Villanova Wildcats walked away with a victory by a final of 76-74 against the Seton Hall Pirates. The Wildcats pulled down 19 defensive boards and 5 offensive boards for a total of 24 for the contest. They blocked 2 tries while getting 5 steals in this matchup. The Pirates had 16 personal fouls in the matchup which took the Wildcats to the charity stripe for a total of 20 tries. They were able to bury 15 of the free throw tries for a rate of 75.0%. In regard to shots from beyond the arc, Villanova converted 9 of their 22 tries (40.9%). When the final whistle blew, the Wildcats ended up going 26 for 55 from the field which gave them a percentage of 47.3%. The Wildcats permitted the Pirates to convert 29 out of their 52 tries from the field which gave them a percentage of 55.8% in the matchup. They finished 40.0% from distance by connecting on 8 of 20 and finished the game at 8 of 12 at the free throw line (66.7%). In relation to how they cleaned up the glass, Villanova permitted Seton Hall to grab 26 in all (2 offensive).

Collin Gillespie ended up being a major contributor for the Wildcats for this contest. He converted 6 of 10 for the game for a field goal rate of 60.0%, which had him sitting at 22 points. Gillespie snagged 2 boards in his 39 mins and had 2 assists in the matchup. Another guy who was a determining factor for Villanova was Jermaine Samuels. He finished with 20 points in 31 minutes on the court via 7 out of 11 shooting for this game. Samuels walked away from this one going 63.6% from the field as well as earning 2 assists and 9 total rebounds.

Who will win tonight's college basketball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Providence (+6.5)

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