Villanova vs Butler prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball

12/31/2024 08:28 PM

It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Villanova-Butler prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Villanova-Butler.

The Villanova Wildcats have begun to turn things around this season. They looked awful in the first three weeks of the season. They lost to Columbia, Saint Joseph’s and Virginia, three teams unlikely to make the NCAA Tournament. Then they blew a big lead and lost by one to Maryland. The team could have folded and stopped believing in itself, but it kept pushing forward. Head coach Kyle Neptune has profoundly struggled on the job at Villanova, but at least he has not lost the locker room. He has kept this team together. Villanova has responded to its ugly start by beating Cincinnati, Temple, and Seton Hall. It’s not enough to put the Wildcats in a good position to make the NCAA Tournament, but it’s a good start in the attempt to fully save the season. Villanova just needs to keep stacking wins and hope that its NCAA Tournament position will be different — and a lot more favorable — at the end of January.

Butler started the season 7-1 but has since lost five straight games. Coach Thad Matta has struggled to get his team to score. Butler’s offense has been held in check for the most part, failing to score 75 points in any of those five losses. The defense has allowed 78 points or more in four of those five games. Nothing has really worked well for the Bulldogs over the past few weeks. They need to hit the reset button here in a home Big East Conference game. Butler is 0-2 in Big East competition, so it needs a win here to avoid falling to 0-3. It’s a hugely important game for both sides in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Here are the Villanova-Butler College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

College Basketball Odds: Villanova-Butler Odds

Villanova: -1.5 (-110)

Moneyline: -126

Butler: +1.5 (-110)

Moneyline: +105

Over: 146.5 (-105)

Under: 146.5 (-115)

How to Watch Villanova vs Butler

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT

TV: FS1

*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*

Why Villanova Will Cover The Spread/Win

Kyle Neptune coached poorly in the first few games of the season but has gotten better as the journey has moved along. Villanova has some elite players, specifically Eric Dixon, who can get big buckets in crunch time and carry the team through the Big East meat grinder. Villanova has stabilized as a team after its horrendous start. Any sense of panic or crisis in the locker room has been wiped away. Order has been restored. Villanova should be good here.

Butler losing five straight games does not bode well for the slumping Bulldogs. It’s one thing if a team is failing due to a single problem, but Butler is not getting it done at either end of the floor. Neither side of the ball has been especially good during this skid. Villanova being just a 1.5-point favorite seems like a low number.

Why Butler Will Cover The Spread/Win

Butler has lost five in a row, but check out the opponents in that series of games: UConn, Marquette, Wisconsin, North Dakota State, and Houston. That’s a monster schedule. A lot of teams would have lost four of those five games. In reality, Butler isn’t slumping so much as playing really good teams most nights. Villanova is not as good as Houston, UConn, Marquette, or Wisconsin. Butler will beat VU.

Final Villanova-Butler Prediction & Pick

Our lean is to Villanova, but this is a pure coin flip. Pass.

Final Villanova-Butler Prediction & Pick: Villanova -1.5

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