Butler Bulldogs vs Villanova Wildcats Betting Pick & Prediction 2/20/24

Betting on today’s Bulldogs and Wildcats game? Catch the action at Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, PA, as the Wildcats hosts this showdown at 6:30 ET on FS1. This Big East conference matchup has an over/under of 141 points, and Villanova is favored to win by -6 at home vs. Butler.

BUTLER BULLDOGS VS VILLANOVA WILDCATS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Villanova Wildcats -6

This game will be played at Finneran Pavilion at 6:30 ET on Tuesday, February 20th.

WHY BET THE VILLANOVA WILDCATS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-68 in favor of the Wildcats.
• Not only will Villanova pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -6.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 141 points, and we like the over with a projected 144 points.

Will the Bulldogs Win in Villanova?

Butler heads into today’s game against Villanova as a six-point underdog. The Bulldogs have gone 3-9 when tabbed as underdogs this season and have lost two straight games, most recently falling to Creighton by a score of 79-57. On the road, Butler is 4-5 this year, and over their last 10 road games, they are 4-6.

Overall, Butler is 16-10 this season, including a 7-8 record in Big East play. They have gone 9-2 in non-conference games, and at home, they are 11-5 compared to 4-5 on the road.

Butler has an ATS record of 12-13 this season and they are 5-4 vs. the spread on the road. Over their last 3 road games, the Bulldogs have gone 3-0 vs. the spread and they are 4-1 in their last 5 road contests. As the underdog this year, Butler has a mark of 5-7 vs. the spread and they are 1-2 in their last 3 games as the underdog.

Butler’s over/under record this season sits at 14-11 and today’s line of 141 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this year (145.8). Over their last three games, their games have averaged 144 points compared to their season average of 152.8 points per game. So far, 16 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line of 141.

Butler offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 57 points against Creighton. In that game, they made 6/22 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 40%. Offensively, the Bulldogs have a season long field goal percentage of 45%, which is 160th in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 119th in percentage and 124th in three-pointers made.

Currently, the Bulldogs’ defense holds the 221st rank in the nation, allowing 74.0 points per game. On average, opposing teams are hitting 7.6 threes per game vs. Villanova. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 31.4%.

Can the Wildcats Pull Off a Home Win?

Coming into tonight’s game against Butler, Villanova is 10-5 at home this season and have won their last two games at home. So far, they have been favored in 18 of their 25 games, going 12-6 in those matchups.

Over their last 10 games at home, the Wildcats are 5-5, and their average scoring margin at home this season is +10.0 points per game.

As the favorite this season, Villanova has gone 10-8 vs. the spread. At home, their ATS mark is 9-6, and over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Wildcats are 6-4 vs. the spread. Over their last three home games, Villanova’s ATS record is 2-1.

On the season, the over/under record for Villanova games is 10-14-1, and today’s line of 141 is right around the average over/under line in their games of 139.4. So far, 12 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 121 points, and the over/under record for their games over their last 10 games is 5-5.

In their most recent game, the Wildcats’ offense tallied 70 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 72.4 points per game. Eric Dixon is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 15.6 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, TJ Bamba brings a PPG average of 10.6 into the game.

At this time, the Wildcats’ defense is positioned 42nd in the country, permitting 66.0 points per game. On average, opposing teams are hitting 7.8 threes per game vs. Butler. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 32.8%.