One of only a handful of teams to be playing in their third Sweet 16 in the last four years, Sportsbook.com currently has the Villanova Wildcats as 11 ½ point underdogs Friday evening and 100-1 to cut down the nets on April 7th.

Despite being such huge long shots, the Wildcats will be able to take the court against the top seed Kansas Jayhawks with a “no lose” attitude. After all, it was just a couple months back where Jay Wright’s squad dropped five straight. After a 22 point lambasting at the hands of mid-major St Joes, a ticket to the Big Dance looked bleak. However, Wright shook his line-up a bit, changed some roles and long story short: the Wildcats earned the final bid to the tournament.

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Not surprisingly, Sportsbook.com bettors have profited from Nova’s late season turn around. After starting the season just 5-14 ATS, the Wildcats are a money-making 9-3 ATS in their last 12. The emergence of forward Dwayne Anderson and guard Corey Stokes appear to be the biggest reasons for Nova’s recent success. A seldom used reserve, Anderson was put into the starting lineup and produced immediate results; often leading the team in rebounds and draining clutch 3 pointers. A highly regarded recruit, Stokes started his freshman campaign in a miserable shooting slump. However, during their run, Stokes found his stroke overnight and now opponents need to guard him wherever he is on court.

Of course, any talk of Nova’s success must include their point guard Scottie Reynolds. Although he had a inconsistent sophomore season, the 6’1” guard has been magnificent as of late. Since the start of the Big East Tournament, Reynolds is averaging over 20 PPG while shooting 14-23 from beyond the arc.

The Wildcats will need to be on top of their game in order to pull off the massive upset Friday night. The Jayhawks consistently mowed over their opponents this season averaging 20 PPG more than their opponents. They too have been a decent bet as of late, covering six of their last eight contests.

Possibly the most talented team in all of college hoops, KU has a very deep and balanced attack which sees their top seven players average between 7.1 and 13.1 PPG. Thanks to their abundance of talent coupled with their two easy wins, KU is the 5-2 co-favorite to win it all.

After looking at Sportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends” it appears as is the general consensus is that KU will look to make this game a track meet against the youthful Cats. An overwhelming 95% of the early money is backing the OVER (144).

Regarding the spread, the early bettors are a little more divided (60%) but are leaning toward the Jayhawks covering the 11 ½.

Just a reminder, it is not too late to enter Sportsbook.com’s March Madness Handicapping Challenge. $20,000 has already been awarded and with two more weeks of college hoops action, another $20,000 of GUARANTEED cash is up for grabs.

Sportsbook.com’s odds to win the National Championship:
Kansas 5-2
UNC 5-2
UCLA 3-1
Memphis 6-1
Texas 8-1
Wisconsin 15-1

Louisville 15-1
Stanford 20-1
Tennessee 20-1
WVU 35-1
Xavier 40-1
Michigan State 40-1
Washington State 50-1
Davidson 60-1
Villanova 100-1
Western KY 100-1