Villanova vs. Penn Odds
| Villanova Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11.5 -110 | 140.5 -110o / -110u | -610 |
| Penn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11.5 -110 | 140.5 -110o / -110u | +440 |
On tonight's college basketball slate, we have fun Big 5 battle between the Villanova Wildcats and Penn Quakers.
For those unaware, the Big 5 is the five Philly-based schools — Penn, La Salle, Temple, Villanova, and St Joe's. Some combination of the five schools play every season, while the home venue alternates. The Palestra, home of the Quakers, is the host for this matchup.
Let's take a look at our college basketball pick and prediction for Penn vs. Villanova on Monday, November 13.
Villanova Wildcats
As for Villanova, last year's rough season was a bump in the road. Four Wildcats — Justin Moore, Tyler Burton, TJ Bamba, and Brendan Hausen are averaging double-figures. That's without returning top-scorer Eric Dixon and Maryland transfer Hakim Hart getting rolling. That's a scary sight for opposing teams since Dixon averaged 15 points last season.
An area where Villanova can exploit Penn is driving the ball inside. St. Joe's guard Lynn Greer scored 13 points and tossed 10 dimes, mostly by using dribble penetration and speeding past Quaker defenders. Luckily, starting point guard Mark Armstrong boasts plenty of speed. If he can make plays in the paint to score, it may lead to open perimeter jumpers.
When the Wildcats are at their best, they space the floor, their guards are back you down, and they hit threes. This year's team has the perfect concoction of those key ingredients. Moore can back down opponents, Dixon helps space the floor, and every rotation player can hit shots from outside. That's the identity we've all come to love at Nova, and it's back!
Also, this feels like a perfect Dixon blow-up game. The 6-foot-8, 255-pound behemoth is one of the college hoop's most unique players. He can handle the ball, shoot it from deep, and consistently rebound. Dixon plays differently than most guys who match his size and weight combination. Coach Kyle Neptune probably trusts Dixon more than anyone (besides Moore) and we'll see that on Monday.
The Wildcats put forth impressive performances in convincing wins over Le Moyne and American, winning both by 24+ points.
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Penn Quakers
Let's get into the thoughts on Penn. After losing Jordan Dingle, it seemed like a long season could await for the Quakers.
Instead, the emergence of Tyler Perkins has generated a new level of optimism within the fanbase. Perkins is a 6-foot-4 dynamic freshman who has turned heads in the first week of his college career. Perkins is averaging 15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in three games. He'll face his biggest test against a highly experienced Villanova squad.
The Quakers' backcourt tandem of Perkins and veteran Clark Slajchert is good enough to compete. Slajchert is off to an elite start to his season — shooting 55% from deep, albeit on 16 attempts.
Moreover, Quakers starting forward Nick Spinoso is valuable for a myriad reasons. At 6-foot-9, Spinoso is the tallest Penn player while also being second on the team in assists. Penn needs Spinoso to slice and dice the Villanova defense and involve the scorers Slajchert, Perkins, and Cam Thrower.
Also, Penn turned it over 16 times in Friday's loss to St Joe's. With the slow tempo Villanova deploys, there's nothing more demoralizing than handing the ball over on unforced turnovers. That's a recipe for disaster for Penn, so staying careful with the basketball and making safe passes is important.
Penn will need that shooting and more to beat one of Big East's most intimidating teams.
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Villanova vs. Penn
Betting Pick & Prediction
I don't love laying 11.5 in an in-state road game, but Villanova remains undervalued. I see the Wildcats as a borderline top-15 team nationally, while most metrics rank them outside the top-25, and some outside the top-30. Once Villanova cruises to a victory over Penn, the market adjustments will happen — and the chances to buy low on Nova will lessen.
Pick: Villanova -11.5
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