Houston Cougars vs. Villanova Wildcats Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Houston Cougars (32-5) will take on the Villanova Wildcats (29-7) in the elite eight of the NCAA Tournament. Saturday’s tipoff is scheduled for 6:09 PM ET at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas and can be viewed on TBS.  

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Score Prediction

Houston 69, Villanova 64 

Best Bet

Houston -2 (-110)

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HOUSTON COUGARS vs. VILLANOVA WILDCATS PREDICTIONS

Houston defeated Arizona 72-60 in the sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and covered as 1.5-point underdogs. The Cougars never trailed during the game and shot 46.0 FG%, 45.0 3PT%, and won the rebounding battle 37-35. Sophomore guard Jamal Shead was the difference maker for Houston with 21 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. The Cougars have now won and covered in five straight games.  

Villanova defeated Michigan 63-55 in the sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and covered as 5-point favorites. The Wildcats did not play particularly well on offense, shooting 37.3 FG%, 30.0 3PT%, and losing the rebounding battle 41-38.  Free throws were the difference in this one as Villanova was 83.3% (10-12) from the foul line while Michigan shot 50% (7-14) from the charity strike. The Wildcats have won five straight games and covered in four of those matchups.  

Both of these teams are very similar in terms of play style. They both thrive on their defense, but also have plenty of scoring options on the offensive end. With that being said I think Houston has looked like the team to beat in this tournament. They did not trail once against offensive powerhouse Arizona and have been dominating opponents since the AAC Tournament began. I’ll lay the points with Houston here as I think their toughness will be too much for Villanova to handle for 40 minutes. 

HOUSTON COUGARS vs. VILLANOVA WILDCATS BETTING ODDS

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HOUSTON COUGARS vs. VILLANOVA WILDCATS BETTING RESOURCES

• Date: Saturday, March 26, 2022
• Matchup: No. 5 vs. No. 2
• Region: South
• Venue: AT&T Center
• Location: San Antonio, Texas
• TV-Time: TBS - 6:09 p.m. ET

HOUSTON COUGARS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 32-5
• ATS: 25-12
• O/U: 16-21

Houston has been kind to bettors this season with an ATS record of 25-12. The Cougars have covered in nine of their last 10 including five straight. The total has gone under in 21 of Houston’s 37 games played and eight of their last 10. Following this trend, the total has gone under in seven of their last nine games when playing as the favorite.  

After losing their leading scorer Marcus Sasser to injury in December, senior guard Kyler Edwards has stepped up and led the way for the Cougars offense. Edwards had 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in their win over Arizona and throughout the season averaged 14.1 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.2 APG, 37.7 FG%. As a team Houston averages 75.8 PPG, 46.9 FG%, 34.2 3PT%, 16.6 APG, and 39.1 RPG. Expect the Cougars to continue to move the ball around, look for the best shot on every possession, and run-in transition.  

Houston has thrived on their defense all season and the tournament has been no different, allowing opponents 60.3 PPG in their three tournament games played. Throughout the season the Cougars allowed opponents 59.0 PPG, 37.5 FG%, 28.8 3PT%, while averaging 8.2 SPG and 5.2 BPG. Villanova can be dangerous from beyond the arc, so Houston will need to close out on shots and crash the boards to prevent any second chance opportunities. 

VILLANOVA WILDCATS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 29-7
• ATS: 19-15-2
• O/U: 17-18-1

Villanova went 19-15-2 ATS this season including four of their last five. The Wildcats have struggled ATS when playing as the underdog, going 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games played as the underdog. Following this trend, Villanova is 2-5 ATS in their last seven games played on a Saturday. The total has gone under in 18 of Villanova’s 36 games played this season including five of their last six.  

Villanova’s offense is led by senior guard Collin Gillespie who averages 15.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 43.5 FG%. The Wildcats like to move the ball around with six players averaging 8.0 points or more per game. As a team Villanova averages 72.5 PPG, 43.7 FG%, 36.0 3PT%, 12.0 APG, and 34.9 RPG. The Wildcats will need to shoot better than they did against Michigan and should not expect any second chance opportunities as Houston has been dominating opponents on the glass this season.  

Similar to Houston, Villanova is also a defensive minded team. In their three games played in the tournament they have allowed opponents 58.6 PPG. This is a bit below their season average of allowing opponents 62.7 PPG, 40.8 FG%, 30.7 3PT%, while averaging 6.2 SPG and 2.3 BPG. Not to beat a dead horse, but Villanova will need to box out and not allow Houston any second chance opportunities.

INSIDE THE STATS - HOUSTON COUGARS

• Record: 32-5
• PS/G: 75.7 (55th)
• PA/G: 59 (3rd)

INSIDE THE STATS - VILLANOVA WILDCATS

• Record: 29-7
• PS/G: 72.5 (139th)
• PA/G: 62.7 (23rd)

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

• UH: Kyler Edwards - G (14.1 ppg, 6 rpg)
• UH: Fabian White - F (12.8 pg, 5.7 rpg)
• NOVA: Collin Gillespie - G (15.9 ppg)
• NOVA: Justin Moore - G (15 ppg, 4 rpg)

HOUSTON COUGARS vs. VILLANOVA WILDCATS BETTING CONCLUSION

This should be a solid matchup for most of the game. I think Houston will wear Villanova down eventually, but expect Villanova to keep it close with their three-point shooting. Houston has a huge rebounding advantage in this matchup and I expect them to exploit that, especially on the offensive end. Laying the points with Houston here as I think they are now the team to beat in this tournament.  

MARCH MADNESS PICK RESOURCES

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HOUSTON COUGARS vs. VILLANOVA WILDCATS BETTING TRENDS

• Houston has scored 66 points or more in 22 of its last 23 games when playing at night.
• Houston has won 1H in 25 of its last 27 games.
• Villanova has seen 123 total points or less in six straight games when playing on a neutral court at night.
• Villanova has won 11 straight NCAA Tournament games when facing a lower seed.