Villanova Wildcats at Connecticut Huskies, Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, CT
Monday, January 17, 2011, 3:30 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN
Opening Line: UConn -2
Current Line: UConn -2.5
Opening Total: 141.5
Current Total: 146
Money Line: UConn -135 / Villanova +115
Few teams in the country are hotter than the seventh-ranked Villanova Wildcats (16-1, 4-0 Big East) heading into Monday’s conference matinee against the 10th-ranked Connecticut Huskies (14-2, 3-2). But the Wildcats have not really been tested yet on the road in league play, something the Huskies (-2.5) will be focused on as they try to snap their opponent’s 11-game winning streak.
Villanova has covered five straight games, including four in a row to start the conference slate. However, only one of those games was away from home, an 83-71 victory at South Florida back on January 6. The Wildcats earned the latest victory at home on Saturday against ACC opponent Maryland, beating the Terrapins 74-66 in a game they trailed 36-33 at halftime.
A 19-0 run just after the midway point of the second half turned a 59-47 deficit into a 62-59 lead for Villanova against Maryland. Maalik Wayns scored a season-high 22 points to lead the Wildcats, who realize they will need to get off to a much better start against a Connecticut team that has won the last two meetings in the series.
The Huskies have won three straight games since losing 73-70 at Notre Dame on January 4. That includes winning a pair of home games in Big East play, and they have also covered four in a row overall since edging South Florida 66-61 in overtime on December 31. They are coming off an 82-62 rout of DePaul on Saturday behind a game-high 31 points from Kemba Walker, who had struggled recently with his shooting before making 10 of 17 shots against the Blue Demons.
Walker had failed to make 50 percent of his shots or better in his previous seven games despite averaging 22 points per game during that stretch. The last time he shot better than 50 percent came in a 78-54 win against Fairleigh Dickinson back on December 8 when he made 7 of 13 shots and finished with 21 points.
UConn beat Villanova 84-75 on the road last February 15 behind Walker’s 29 points, 14 of which came at the free-throw line. The Wildcats made just 26 of 65 shots from the field as a team, taking 19 more than the Huskies, who also earned 24 more trips to the charity stripe and made 19 more. Regardless, Villanova has covered three of the last four meetings with the OVER cashing in four of the past five along with seven of nine.
Now that you have read this Big East college basketball betting preview featuring Connecticut & Villanova, make sure to check out the NCAA basketball odds on this and all the games to compare the best lines at multiple sportsbooks.
