The Butler Bulldogs will travel to Philadelphia on Saturday to play a Big East Conference game against the Villanova Wildcats. The season is winding down and neither one of these teams will likely have a chance at an NCAA Tournament at-large bid but seeding for the conference tournament is still on the line here. It should be a great Big East battle inside Finneran Pavilion, and we expect Villanova to cover the spread. The spread is currently set for 6.5 points in favor of the Wildcats and that is our best bet of the game.
We like Villanova to cover the spread because they have beaten Butler once already this season back in January and should be able to do it on their home floor. Butler had no answer for Eric Dixon and Wooga Poplar in game one as Dixon went for 28 points and Poplar went for 18 points. Another big night could be in store for Dixon and Poplar as they are the two leading scorers on Villanova’s roster. The Wildcats out-rebounded the Bulldogs 43-30 in game one, which could be the difference in game two here. According to KenPom, Butler is ranked #362 in opponent offensive rebound percentage, ahead of just two teams in all of college basketball. Villanova has the better overall team this season, so we expect them to cover the spread. Take Villanova -6.5.
*Villanova -6.5 available at time of publishing. Playable at -7*
