Villanova Wildcats make snowy trek to battle Georgetown Hoyas
Scottie Reynolds and the Wildcats carry their unbeaten record in the Big East down to Washington D.C. in a key clash with Georgetown...that is as long as they can get there.
It’s got to happen sometime. The NCAA’s 65-team men’s basketball Tournament is going to get bigger; it’s just a question of when and how big.
According to the Associated Press, “many” college coaches and athletic directors think expansion will make March Madness that more exciting. Well, it’ll certainly be more exciting for them if they’re among the added teams (could be three, could be 31) going to the Big Dance. And more games are always welcome for handicappers. Either way, follow the money.
Let’s see what’s cooking in the Big East this weekend.
No. 2 Villanova at No. 7 Georgetown
Saturday - 12:00 p.m. (ET) ESPN
The biggest matchup on the docket has the No. 2 Wildcats (20-1 SU, 15-5 ATS) putting their undefeated conference record on the line against the No. 7 Hoyas (16-5 SU, 9-8 ATS). This is a rematch of January’s 82-77 Villanova win at the Pavilion; the ‘Cats beat Georgetown for the first time in six attempts and covered as 4 ½-point home faves.
Villanova’s 15-5 ATS record is one of the most profitable in Division I. The 'over' is also a money machine at 13-7 on the season, although the 'under' has cashed in the past two games.
The Hoyas have hit a bit of a speed bump with two losses in their last three games, including Wednesday’s 72-64 shocker against the visiting USF Bulls (+12½) to snap Georgetown’s 11-game winning streak at the Verizon Center. The buzz afterward was that the Hoyas were unfocused, having just defeated Duke (-2) by 12 points and with Villanova up next.
But blowing the lead in the second half suggests that Georgetown’s players are getting worn down a bit – this is still one of the least used benches in Division I. The reserves combined for two points in 29 minutes of work against South Florida.
If the Hoyas are indeed getting tired, they’d better bring out the oxygen tanks on Saturday. Villanova runs a very fast tempo using a four-guard lineup, but the ‘Cats offense (ranked No. 3 in overall efficiency by Ken Pomeroy) is capable of scoring from just about anywhere on the floor. Betting odds for this Big East clash will start coming out Friday night; you can catch the action on ESPN at noon Eastern.
No. 3 Syracuse at Cincinnati
Sunday - 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Georgetown’s other big loss was a 73-56 stinker at the hands of the Orange (-5½ home faves), another of this year’s top money teams at 22-1 SU and 14-5 ATS. Syracuse was down 14-0 to begin that contest.
Then the Orange (-14½) needed another rally to squeak past DePaul, 59-57. Even with the drama, this is the best start to a season in Syracuse history, which dates way back to 1899. Ken Pomeroy and the AP writers both have SU ranked No. 3 in Division I, two spots behind Kansas.
The Bearcats (14-8 SU, 5-12 ATS) aren’t really on the Big East radar at the moment. This is a potential Tournament team with some nice wins over UConn and Maryland, but Cincinnati is draining wallets nationwide with awful shooting from both the perimeter (30.2 percent) and the free-throw line (63.0 percent).
Freshman and leading scorer Lance Stephenson (12.2 points, 5.1 rebounds per game) is playing on a sore ankle. Freshman point guard Cashmere Wright (5.8 points, 2.1 assists per game) is starting to get a handle on Division I ball, scoring 24 points against Providence, but Wright followed that up with just four points on 1-of-9 shooting against Notre Dame. Cincinnati didn’t cover either game to fall to 1-7 ATS over the past month.
This is a 2:00 p.m. ET Sunday matinee at the Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, where the Bearcats are 11-1 SU and just 1-6 ATS. Syracuse is 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in true road games this season, with the 'under' at a perfect 5-0 behind the No. 7-ranked Orange defense. You can catch the game on SportsNet New York or the Big East Network if you have access.
Scottie Reynolds and the Wildcats carry their unbeaten record in the Big East down to Washington D.C. in a key clash with Georgetown...that is as long as they can get there.
It’s got to happen sometime. The NCAA’s 65-team men’s basketball Tournament is going to get bigger; it’s just a question of when and how big.
According to the Associated Press, “many” college coaches and athletic directors think expansion will make March Madness that more exciting. Well, it’ll certainly be more exciting for them if they’re among the added teams (could be three, could be 31) going to the Big Dance. And more games are always welcome for handicappers. Either way, follow the money.
Let’s see what’s cooking in the Big East this weekend.
No. 2 Villanova at No. 7 Georgetown
Saturday - 12:00 p.m. (ET) ESPN
The biggest matchup on the docket has the No. 2 Wildcats (20-1 SU, 15-5 ATS) putting their undefeated conference record on the line against the No. 7 Hoyas (16-5 SU, 9-8 ATS). This is a rematch of January’s 82-77 Villanova win at the Pavilion; the ‘Cats beat Georgetown for the first time in six attempts and covered as 4 ½-point home faves.
Villanova’s 15-5 ATS record is one of the most profitable in Division I. The 'over' is also a money machine at 13-7 on the season, although the 'under' has cashed in the past two games.
The Hoyas have hit a bit of a speed bump with two losses in their last three games, including Wednesday’s 72-64 shocker against the visiting USF Bulls (+12½) to snap Georgetown’s 11-game winning streak at the Verizon Center. The buzz afterward was that the Hoyas were unfocused, having just defeated Duke (-2) by 12 points and with Villanova up next.
But blowing the lead in the second half suggests that Georgetown’s players are getting worn down a bit – this is still one of the least used benches in Division I. The reserves combined for two points in 29 minutes of work against South Florida.
If the Hoyas are indeed getting tired, they’d better bring out the oxygen tanks on Saturday. Villanova runs a very fast tempo using a four-guard lineup, but the ‘Cats offense (ranked No. 3 in overall efficiency by Ken Pomeroy) is capable of scoring from just about anywhere on the floor. Betting odds for this Big East clash will start coming out Friday night; you can catch the action on ESPN at noon Eastern.
No. 3 Syracuse at Cincinnati
Sunday - 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Georgetown’s other big loss was a 73-56 stinker at the hands of the Orange (-5½ home faves), another of this year’s top money teams at 22-1 SU and 14-5 ATS. Syracuse was down 14-0 to begin that contest.
Then the Orange (-14½) needed another rally to squeak past DePaul, 59-57. Even with the drama, this is the best start to a season in Syracuse history, which dates way back to 1899. Ken Pomeroy and the AP writers both have SU ranked No. 3 in Division I, two spots behind Kansas.
The Bearcats (14-8 SU, 5-12 ATS) aren’t really on the Big East radar at the moment. This is a potential Tournament team with some nice wins over UConn and Maryland, but Cincinnati is draining wallets nationwide with awful shooting from both the perimeter (30.2 percent) and the free-throw line (63.0 percent).
Freshman and leading scorer Lance Stephenson (12.2 points, 5.1 rebounds per game) is playing on a sore ankle. Freshman point guard Cashmere Wright (5.8 points, 2.1 assists per game) is starting to get a handle on Division I ball, scoring 24 points against Providence, but Wright followed that up with just four points on 1-of-9 shooting against Notre Dame. Cincinnati didn’t cover either game to fall to 1-7 ATS over the past month.
This is a 2:00 p.m. ET Sunday matinee at the Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, where the Bearcats are 11-1 SU and just 1-6 ATS. Syracuse is 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in true road games this season, with the 'under' at a perfect 5-0 behind the No. 7-ranked Orange defense. You can catch the game on SportsNet New York or the Big East Network if you have access.
