DePaul Blue Demons vs Villanova Wildcats Betting Pick & Prediction 1/12/24

Looking to win big? The Blue Demons and Wildcats face off at 8:30 ET on FS1. The Wildcats are hosting the game at Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, PA. The over/under for this game is set at 135.5 points, and the Wildcats are the home favorites against the Blue Demons in a Big East conference matchup.

DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS VS VILLANOVA WILDCATS BETTING PICK

The Pick: DePaul Blue Demons +19

This game will be played at Finneran Pavilion at 8:30 ET on Friday, January 12th.

WHY BET THE DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-69 in favor of the Wildcats.
• Even though we have Villanova winning straight-up, we like DePaul at +19.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 135.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 144 points.

Will DePaul Shock Everyone at Finneran Pavilion?

DePaul is coming off a 84-58 loss to Creighton, and they enter this game with a 3-12 record. They have lost three straight games and have a 0-4 record in Big East play. On the road this season, the Blue Demons are 0-5, and they have an average scoring margin of -15.6 points per game.

So far this season, DePaul has been the underdog in nine of their 15 games, and they are 0-9 in those contests. For the year, they have a record of 3-12, and they have gone 3-8 in non-conference action.

As the underdog, DePaul has gone just 1-7-1 against the spread this season. On the road, their ATS record is 1-4 and 4-6 over their last 10 road games. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Blue Demons have gone just 2-7-1 vs. the spread.

DePaul’s over/under record for the season sits at 6-9 and today’s line of 135.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (143.7). So far, 14 of their games have had a higher over/under line than today’s total. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 138 points compared to the season average of 141.6 points per game.

DePaul offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 58 points against Creighton. In that game, they made 5/10 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 37.9%. Da’Sean Nelson was the leading scorer for the Blue Demons, putting up 12 points. In addition, Jaden Henley contributed 12 points.

At this time, the Blue Demons’ defense is positioned 264th in the country, permitting 76.1 points per game. In their previous game vs. Creighton, the Bluejays finished with a field goal percentage of 37% and a total of 84 points vs. DePaul.

Do the Wildcats Have a Shot at a Home Win?

So far this season, Villanova has a record of 10-5, including a 3-1 record in Big East play. The Wildcats are 7-3 at home this season, compared to a 3-2 record on the road. They have been favored in 13 of their 15 games, going 8-5 in those contests.

Coming off an 81-71 loss to St. John’s, Villanova will look to bounce back as 19-point favorites against DePaul. Over their last 10 games at home, the Wildcats have gone 7-3.

Against the spread, Villanova has gone 8-7 this season, including a 5-5 mark at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Wildcats are 5-5 vs. the spread. In their last three home games, they are just 1-2 vs. the spread.

On the season, the over/under record for Villanova games sits at 5-9-1, and today’s line of 135.5 is lower than the average OU line in their games (138.6). So far, 6 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 137 points, and during their last five games, the average is 133 points. This season, their games have averaged 137.7 points.

In their latest game, Villanova offense put up 71 points against St. John’s. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 38.8% and made 6 threes. On the offensive front, the Wildcats have a season-long field goal percentage of 40%, ranking 355th nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 241st in terms of percentage and 44th in three-pointers made.

Currently, the Wildcats’ defense holds the 41st rank in the nation, allowing 64.8 points per game. Against St. John’s in their most recent game, the Villanova defense gave up a total of 81 points while allowing St. John’s to hit 38% of their shots.