Villanova vs. Colorado Prediction, Odds & Preview: Best College Basketball Crown Picks

The Villanova Wildcats (19-14) battle the Colorado Buffaloes (14-20) in the first round of the College Basketball Crown tonight. We discuss why the Wildcats will have no trouble blowing out the Buffaloes as 3.5-point betting favorites in our Villanova vs. Colorado prediction, odds, and preview.

Tonight’s game from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1).

🏀 Villanova vs. Colorado prediction & picks: College Basketball Crown

Here are my best Villanova vs. Colorado predictions for the College Basketball Crown; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:

✅ Against the spread pick: Villanova -3.5 (-104 via FanDuel) vs. Colorado ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Player prop bet: Eric Dixon Over 20.5 points (-114 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: Villanova 74, Colorado 62

👉 Want more picks? Check out our latest college basketball picks and the rest of our March Madness predictions.

🏆 Best Villanova vs. Colorado pick & score prediction

Our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds for any March Madness market across legal sportsbooks in your area!

✅ Villanova to cover the spread: -3.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This spread has grown by a point since opening at 2.5, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see it climb as high as 4.5 before tipoff. The Wildcats struggled this season, but they went 11-9 in Big East play and won over the UConn Huskies, Marquette Golden Eagles, and St. John’s Red Storm. 

The real difference in this game is going to be the Wildcats’ success from beyond the 3-point line. They’re the best team in the nation when it comes to 3-point shooting percentage, and the Buffaloes rank 200th in 3-point shooting percentage allowed. The Wildcats will exploit that mismatch and the Buffaloes won’t be able to keep pace with them.

The Buffaloes went just 3-17 in Big 12 play, then won back-to-back games in the Big 12 tournament to make their resume slightly more respectable. At the end of the day, the Wildcats are the better team, and the price of -104 being offered by FanDuel makes this a five-star play.

📊 Best odds: -104 via FanDuel ($10 to win $9.62)

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🔥 Player prop bet: Eric Dixon Over 20.5 points ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dixon is shooting 42.2% from beyond the arc this season, so if there is any Wildcat who is going to benefit from this mismatch, it’s him. The Wildcats’ leading scorer leads the nation with 23.0 points per game, and he has made 94 3-pointers this season. There’s no reason to expect the Buffaloes to slow him down. 

Dixon’s most recent game was a disappointing one. He finished just 2-of-15 from the floor against UConn, as he scored eight points. It was his only single-digit performance of the season. Despite that rough shooting night, Dixon enters this game, scoring at least 23 points in four of his last six.

The Buffaloes are allowing 71.5 points per game, which ranks 143rd in the nation. The only thing keeping this from being a five-star play is that Dixon hasn’t played a game since March 13. But realistically, he should light it up tonight. 

📊 Best odds: -114 via FanDuel ($10 to win $8.77)

🎯 Score prediction: Villanova 74, Colorado 62

Though these two teams are playing in the same tournament, they’re not nearly as evenly matched as the spread suggests. The Wildcats average over 73 points per game, and they have the 41st-best scoring defense in the nation. The Buffaloes are going to struggle to score and defend, as the Wildcats shoot well from 3-point range and win this game with ease.

There are currently no exact score props available for this game, which is standard for CBC games. If this score becomes available, expect a price of around +19000.

📊 Best odds: OFF

🤖 Villanova vs. Colorado AI prediction

For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze college basketball stats and trends before predicting the winner and exact score for Villanova vs. Colorado. Our AI prediction projects a final score of Villanova 72, Colorado 69.

🖥️ AI score prediction: Villanova 72, Colorado 69

• The Buffaloes are averaging 69.9 points per game, ranking 283rd nationally
• The Wildcats lead the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (39.8%)
• The Buffaloes are allowing 71.5 points per game, which ranks 160th nationally

🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean Colorado covering the spread (+3.5) and a total of Under 143.5 points. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that college basketball bettors might overlook.

📊 Live Villanova vs. Colorado odds

Follow the latest live college basketball odds and real-time college basketball scores.

🔢 Villanova vs. Colorado opening odds

• Spread: Villanova –2.5 (-115) | Colorado +2.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: Villanova -150 | Colorado +125
• Over/Under: Over 140.5 (-115) | Under 140.5 (-105)

📺 How to watch Villanova vs. Colorado: College Basketball Crown

📅 Date: Tuesday, April 1
🕗 Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
📍 Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas)
📺 TV: FS1
💻 Streaming: FOX Sports App

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