Free NCAA Hoops Pick: #17 UConn vs. #12 Villanova CBB Odds
Looking for UConn Huskies vs. Villanova Wildcats NCAA basketball free picks & CBB odds? CBB betting sees the Huskies taking on the Wildcats on Saturday, February 5, 2022, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all college basketball matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily NCAA basketball predictions like this Huskies Wildcats matchup.
2022 NCAA Basketball Handicapping
(15-5) UConn Huskies vs. Villanova Wildcats (16-6)
Date: Saturday, February 5, 2022
Time: 12:00 PM ET
Venue: Wells Fargo Arena
CBB Moneyline Odds: Huskies +155 / Wildcats -175
CBB Betting ATS Odds: Uconn +6 / Nova +6 (Bet Now!)
CBB Betting Total: O/U 130
So, do you have any plans for Saturday? Well, make a plan to catch this game because this is going to be one of the better contests among this massive Saturday slate we have to take in. Both teams want to remain in the top-25 rankings but a second loss for the UConn Huskies this week could bounce them right off the board.
The Huskies fell to Creighton early this week, 59 – 55, and that too was another game I hope you found your way to catch. Big East hoops may not be as overwhelmingly talented as it once was but these two programs have plenty of dudes with games worth watching.
In case you haven’t recognized it yet, the Huskies have 5 losses this entire season and not one of those Ls have been by more than 4 points. You know my next comment will be that those are all games that could just as easily have come down to the last minute no matter who is across the court.
Nova (9-3) is locked in a dogfight with Providence (9-1) chasing the top-seed in the Big East Conference Tournament. UConn is right there with them at 6 – 3 in third place and the Marquette Golden Eagles are playing outstanding hoops this season as well. It appears that it will be these four teams with the top seeds but Xavier and Creighton might provide a surprise to pass one of them
UConn Huskies
Well, at least you know what you’re getting when you face the Huskies because there is no quit in this team and every game is a battle to the last whistle. That is unless they are kicking your ass then I have nothing for you! Yeah, Husky alum here so if you have a problem with that you just let me know, LoL
The 2021-22 Huskies are pretty damn solid in case you haven’t heard, but at this point of the season if you don’t know that yet you need to recognize how good this bunch is. When everyone is healthy, this team always seems to be favored by double-digits and expected to cruise to another win. They may only officially be 10 – 10 ATS but you can see the total has flown over the number in 13 of those 20 affairs.
The Huskies are averaging 78.2 PPG which ranks then 38th in the nation but they’ll be going up against Nova’s 23rd ranked scoring defense that is only allowing 61.1 PPG this season.
R.J Cole leads this team putting up 16 points a game and Creighton holding him to 13 last time out was arguably the difference in a 4-point finish that resulted in the Huskies’ 5th loss of the season. As I mentioned earlier, this team is not going to just go away and let you go on extended runs that put them behind by a big margin.
Wait, I do have an argument about that difference-maker against Creighton. The fucking bench did shit to help the starting 5 get a win. UConn scored 53 points in the loss and 51 of those points came from the starting 5. Depth is an issue in Storrs but luckily this starting 5 is solid as a unit more often than not.
The Husky defense holds opponents to a 38.5% shooting clip from the floor which puts them at 14th in the country. One thing I love seeing is the emphasis on the glass and the rankings show UConn 4th overall bringing 38.8 offensive boards a game. All 5 starters against Creighton accounted for 41 of the 43 rebounds on the night and you know that Mr. Sanogo is going to get his every night (8.4 RPG).
Villanova Wildcats
When Nova isn’t playing strong on the defensive side of the floor, Jay Wright loses his fucking mind along the sidelines. Hey, a fast-paced game that goes up and down when things are flowing is fine and dandy but Coach Wright wants his guys to think defense and let it be what determines their own pace of the game.
Allowing 61.1 PPG this season is pretty good considering some of the scoring offenses we have in the Big East and Nova has hit 12 of their 22 games to the Under this season. Making your free throws is his second requirement and that is why Villanova is ranked #1 in the land from the charity stripe.
Nova has lost 3 Big East games this season but two of those have come against Marquette. The Golden Eagles just handed the Cats a season sweep with an 83 – 73 defeat last time out and another loss in conference play could be costly. Hell, any loss by any team down the stretch is going to hurt everyone vying for positioning in the Big East Tourney.
Villanova is officially a game back of Providence for the top-seed but they are two back in the loss column. A 4th loss for the Wildcats this afternoon to UConn would also bring the Huskies a little closer to them in the standings. These two teams are only separated by 1.5 games in the Big East table and these two programs will meet again on February 22 up in Storrs.
As is the case with UConn, Jay Wright has a limited bench and he relies on his main 6 dudes to do most of the damage with a couple of minutes spread to Jordan Longino and Chris Arcidiacono. The pair saw 7 minutes apiece off the bench against Marquette last time out and only Longino was able to crack the score sheet with 3 points.
CBB Betting Trends:
- Huskies are 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 road games.
- Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
- Over is 6-2 in Huskies’ last 8 overall.
- The road team is 7-1-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
- The underdog is 6-2-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
Free UConn Huskies vs. Villanova Wildcats NCAAB Betting Prediction:
Until someone shows me they can’t beat my alma mater by more than 4 points, I am all over those 6 points I am getting on the early line. It may not be 6 by game time but it is now so I am all over it!
4* Free CBB Betting Pick: UConn +6
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