6:30 p.m. ET: Villanova Wildcats (11-4) at Xavier Musketeers (12-2)

Spread: Xavier -1
Total: 140.5

Two ranked teams meet as #4 Villanova visits #17, Xavier, in a Big East showdown. Villanova has 3 wins and 3 losses against ranked opponents this season, while Xavier has won one of two games against ranked teams. Villanova lost consecutive games to Baylor and Creighton by 20+ points in mid-December for the first time in head coach Jay Wright’s 21 seasons but they haven’t lost since. Villanova defeated Xavier 71-58 on Dec. 21 as it rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit. Wright holds a 15-4 career record against the Musketeers. The Wildcats have dominated this series with an all-time advantage of 29-6. Xavier’s last win came on Feb. 24, 2019. The Musketeers have won all 9 of their home games this season. Xavier has played well this season and earned a victory last time out even though it wasn’t a great performance they still got the win. The Wildcats on the other hand have been dominant in recent games. Home court advantage always plays a big role in conference games but the better overall team is Villanova and the team that is playing better right now is also Villanova. Take the Wildcats and the Under in this one.  

Trends

• The Favorite is 14-4 ATS in the last 18 meetings.
• The Home team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings.
   

The Bookie:          Villanova +1 / Under 140.5
Fade the Public:   Xavier / Under
Sharp Action:       Xavier / Under