Villanova vs DePaul prediction, pick, college basketball odds

02/05/2025 07:03 AM

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

On a stuffed Wednesday slate in college basketball, this game is notable because it involves a coach firmly on the hot seat.

There is no getting around it: Villanova coach Kyle Neptune is in very big trouble. The Wildcats desperately needed to beat Creighton at home this past weekend in order to feel somewhat optimistic about their chances of making the NCAA Tournament. They came close, but close is not good enough. The Wildcats lost on an improble Creighton shot which was banked in from a wildly bad angle. The moral of the story: Don’t be in position to lose on one fluke play. Villanova wasn’t able to gain separation from Creighton and allowed the game to come down to one play. It was a margin of error which involved too much risk. The Cats ate that loss and are now 12-10 through 22 games. That’s not going to get it done.

Villanova isn’t eliminated from NCAA Tournament contention, but the math is pretty obvious for the 12-10 Wildcats: They need a five-game winning streak to reset the dial and give themselves a decent chance. Going 3-2 in a five-game stretch won’t cut it. Villanova can’t be moderately good in the next month. The Wildcats need to be very good and well above average to make a push at the tournament. There are some teams which can lose 13 or 14 games and still make the NCAA tourney, but those teams have incredible wins and hefty nonconference profiles. Nova doesn’t have those attributes on its resume. This team needs to get on a roll and stay hot. Otherwise, it will miss March Madness, and Kyle Neptune will likely be canned.

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

College Basketball Odds: Villanova-DePaul Odds

Villanova: -4.5 (-115)

Moneyline: -196

DePaul: +4.5 (-105)

Moneyline: +162

Over: 142.5 (-115)

Under: 142.5 (-105)

How to Watch Villanova vs DePaul

Time: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

TV: CBS Sports Network

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

Why Villanova Will Cover The Spread/Win

It is clear and unambiguous: Kyle Neptune must win this game, and he must win a bunch of games in the next month to save his job. Villanova needs to win five or six games in a row to feel optimistic about making the Big Dance. Going 3-2 or 4-2 won’t be good enough. Because this game is so urgently important, and because Villanova’s players — for all their flaws — have continued to compete hard, we should expect a vigorous effort from the Wildcats here. DePaul is a lot better than it was last season, but the Blue Demons are still not what one would call a good team. Villanova is more talented than DePaul and should be able to take control of this game. The spread is not huge. Villanova can win by a modest five-point margin and cover the spread. That’s not a bad play to make.

Why DePaul Will Cover The Spread/Win

DePaul just defeated Seton Hall at home and is welcoming a Villanova team which has to be demoralized after losing its fourth game in the last five. What is also weighing down Villanova beyond the losing itself is an offense which has collapsed in recent weeks. Villanova has failed to score more than 63 points in three of its last five games. That’s a remarkably bad level of performance for a team which has Eric Dixon, one of the better players in college basketball. It speaks to how poorly Kyle Neptune is coaching this team, and how ineffective Neptune has been at giving his guys a winning game plan and a path to success. Chris Holtmann of DePaul should coach circles around Neptune and enable DePaul to, at the very least, cover the spread if not win outright at home.

Final Villanova-DePaul Prediction & Pick

Our lean is to Villanova, but it’s really hard to trust Kyle Neptune in any way, shape or form right now. Pass.

Final Villanova-DePaul Prediction & Pick: Villanova -4.5

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