Villanova Wildcats vs Providence Friars Free College Basketball Pick
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#7 Villanova (17-2, 5-1 Big East) at Providence (12-8, 1-6 Big East)
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 26 2011, 7:00 PM EST
Venue: Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI
Broadcast: ESPN3, ESPN Full Court
Money Line: OFF
Spread: Nova -5.5
Over/Under: 155
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Initially the Providence Friars may look like the extreme underdog in this one but the No. 8 Villanova Wildcats will want to take a page out of their own book when it comes to upsets.
The Friars may unfamiliar to wins lately, but they are certainly no strangers to knocking off top 25 teams as they demonstrated by snatching their first win in seven outings, beating No. 19/15 Louisville 72-67, in Big East play at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on Saturday.
Senior guard Marshon Brooks posted a game-high 27 points, 20 of which came in the second half while sophomore guard Gerard Coleman added 19, including the game-clinching free throws.
The Friars held the Cardinals to 17.4-percent shooting from beyond the arc, including a 0-12 mark from three in the second half. The normally stout Louisville defense also struggled, as they were forcing over 18 turnovers per game coming in and the Friars only turned the ball over 12 times. 
The win was just the second over a top-25 opponent for Providence, who defeated Connecticut, 81-66, at home January 27, 2010.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats played upset spoilers themselves as Maalik Wayns and Corey Fisher combined to hit 6 of 7 shots from beyond the arc in the first half, giving No. 7 Villanova a big lead, as they held on to beat favorites, third-ranked Syracuse 83-72 at the Carrier Dome on Saturday.
The formula is simple: hit from outside and you can give a zone defense fits.
The ‘Cats played at a deliberate pace and had their way from beyond the arc in the first half, hitting 8 of 13 as the Wildcats built a double-digit lead in the first 10 minutes. Fisher and Corey Stokes each had 16 points and Antonio Pena 10 for Villanova.
Providence has struggled on defense in Big East play, allowing an average of 79.2 points in their first seven Big East games. They will need some big play out of their defense in an effort to shut down Brooks who is averaging 23.4 points a game and has scored 20 points in every Big East game he has played, except against West Virginia.
He is also a threat from 3-point range, and entered Wednesday’s game shooting 16-of-41 in Big East play. This will be a test for the Friars backcourt. If that’s not enough, they will also need to watch the paint, where they will be challenged to stop Mouphtaou Yarou and Antonio Pena, particularly on the glass.
The Friars lost 92-18 the last time the two teams met back on Feb 13, 2010, and trail in the overall series 38-22 since 1980.
Betting Trends:
Over is 14-5 in VILLA last 19 road games.
Over is 8-3 in VILLA last 11 Wed. games.
VILLA are 35-16-1 ATS in their last 52 Wed. games.
Over is 23-7 in PROV last 30 Wed. games.
PROV are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 Wed. games.
Over is 6-2 in PROV last 8 home games.
Road team is 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
Over is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
Free Pick: Villanova
Matt Martz is a freelance writer located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.
