Winthrop Eagles vs. Villanova Wildcats Betting Preview
The first round of the NCAA tournament kicks off on Friday, and one of the more interesting contests comes in the South region as the No. 12 Winthrop Eagles (23-1) take on the No. 5 Villanova Wildcats (16-6). This game will be played at Indiana Farmers Coliseum, with tipoff scheduled for 9:57 pm ET.
For Winthrop, they come into the tournament having won the Big South conference tournament with a win over Campbell, 80-53, last Sunday. In the victory, forward DJ Burns led the way with 22 points while guard Kyle Zunic added 13. They will look to upset the No. 5 seeded Wildcats and try to become this year’s Cinderella story.
For Villanova, they were upset in the Big East tournament by Georgetown, 72-71 last week. Villanova did finish first in the Big East during the regular season, but they have now lost two in a row and three of their last four. Villanova has also been mediocre when not playing at home. While they were 9-0 at home, they were 7-6 when having to play on the road.
The Villanova Wildcats are the favorites in this one. They are -275 to win, while Winthrop is +225. The spread features the Eagles +6.5 while the over/under for total points is 143.
By The Numbers
Offensively, Winthrop was the higher scoring team between the two this season. They ranked 19th in the nation averaging 79.5 points per game. Villanova ranks 60th, averaging 75.5 points.
Defensively, it is once again Winthrop with the edge. They rank 67th overall, allowing an average of 66.8 points per game to opponents (56 over their last three games). Villanova ranks 76th, allowing 67.1 points per game.
Winthrop Looking For Upset
It seems like every year that a twelve seed can pull off an upset in the NCAA tournaments against solid but not spectacular five seeds. Winthrop, having only lost one game all season, is hoping to be one of those twelve seeds.
Leading the way for the Eagles this season has been senior guard Chandler Vaudrin. On the season, he is leading the team in points (12.2), rebounds (7.2), assists (6.9), and steals (1.3).
Vaudrin isn’t the only option for Winthrop, though. Adonis Arms (10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds), Charles Falden (10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds), and DJ Burns Jr. (10 points, 3.3 rebounds) have all been major contributors this season.
Villanova Hope To Overcome Major Injury
Villanova has just not looked like the same team since guard Collin Gillespie tore his MCL. On the season, Gillespie was averaging 14 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. His absence especially hurts from a ball-handling standpoint, but coach Jay Wright and the Wildcats will look to overcome the senior’s injury.
The leading scorer for Villanova this season is Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. This season he has averaged 15.7 points on 49.3% shooting. He is also averaging 8.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and a steal per game.
Other contributors for Villanova include Justin Moore (12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds), Jermaine Samuels (11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists), and Caleb Daniels (9.8 points).
Taking Winthrop And The Points
The Gillespie injury has loomed large for Villanova, and their play as of late has reflected it. They have struggled over the last week, and they run into a really tough Winthrop team. It would not shock me if the Eagles actually won this outright, but at the bare minimum, I will take Winthrop and the 6.5 points.
