West Virginia Mountaineers at Villanova Wildcats, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Saturday, February 5, 2011, 12:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN
Opening Line: Villanova -5.5
Current Line: Villanova -4.5
Opening Total: 136
Current Total: 134
Money Line: Villanova -190 / West Virginia +160
The West Virginia Mountaineers (15-6, 6-3 Big East) have won five of the last seven meetings with the 12th-ranked Villanova Wildcats (18-4, 6-3) and will look to slow down the home team when they square off on Saturday. The Mountaineers have used outstanding defense to win three of their last four overall while the Wildcats (-4.5) hope to build on their first win in three games.
West Virginia has held its last four opponents to 50 points per game with the UNDER cashing each time. The opposition has shot less than 35 percent from the field in the past five games for the Mountaineers and 61 percent from the free-throw line. In fact, Purdue was the last team to shoot better than 40 percent in a 68-64 loss at West Virginia on January 16.
Offense was a problem for Villanova in losing three of four games before topping Marquette 75-70 on Wednesday. The Wildcats were held under 70 points in all of those losses and have gone 2-4 in games this season when they fail to score more than 70.
Villanova head coach Jay Wright has built a successful program around a strong backcourt, but his frontcourt players did the heavy lifting against the Golden Eagles. Mouphtaou Yarou and Antonio Pena combined to score 32 points and grab 15 rebounds while senior guard Corey Fisher continue his strong play with 17 points and six assists. Fisher has scored 15 points or more in seven of the last eight games, totaling at least five assists six times during that stretch.
“Villanova doesn’t win too many games because of their inside game, and I think we did,” Wright said. “I thought Mouph was outstanding and ‘Tone was great.”
West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins is well aware of how much the Wildcats have improved inside but will have a definitive disadvantage in the backcourt after leading scorer Casey Mitchell was suspended on January 24 for violating undisclosed team rules.
“They’ve got their big guys so much more involved now than probably they did a year ago,” Huggins said of Villanova. “I think they’re very, very good and I think they’re well deserving of being one of the top 10 teams in the country.”
The Mountaineers have been forced to use both of their point guards together in the same backcourt, and Joe Mazzulla and Darryl Bryant have responded well to the challenge defensively. Mazzulla and Bryant will be counted on to hold Fisher, Corey Stokes and Maalik Wayns in check.
The UNDER is 4-1 in the last five games for the Wildcats, who have failed to cover their past three. West Virginia is 3-0 against the spread in its last three games overall and 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings with Villanova.
Now that you have read this Big East college basketball betting preview featuring Villanova & West Virginia, check out the NCAA basketball odds on this and all the games to compare the best lines at multiple sportsbooks.
