It will be a terrific weekend of college basketball betting with the remaining Sweet 16 games and then the Elite Eight.
Speaking of the Elite Eight, a spot in the Final Four is up for grabs in the South region as Houston and Villanova will battle it out in San Antonio.
The Cougars look to make it back-to-back Final Fours, while the Wildcats seek to improve on their incredible 19-3 record over the last six NCAA tournaments.
When looking at the college basketball betting lines, they show Houston as a 2.5-point favorite.
Below we’ll take a look at this matchup, some college basketball betting trends, and give out a pick.
Houston vs. Villanova: When, Where & How to Watch
#5 Houston: 32-8 (15-3) | #2 Villanova: 29-7 (16-4)
Date: 03/26/2022 | Time: 6:09 PM ET | TV: TBS
Location: San Antonio, Texas | Venue: AT&T Center
Houston vs. Villanova Odds, Moneyline, Total
Moneyline: Houston -135 | Villanova +110
Spread: Houston -2.5 (-110) | Villanova +2.5 (-110)
Total: 128.5 Over -110 | Under -110
Houston vs. Villanova Analysis
We don’t even know two of the four matchups at the time of writing this and this is already my favorite game of the Elite Eight.
Both teams have been impressive up to this point with a combined record of 6-0 against the spread in the NCAA tournament thus far.
Villanova Basketball.@NovaMBB x #BEdancing
— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) March 25, 2022
It’s a battle between two top-10 offenses in the nation per KenPom and teams that are certainly greater than the sum of their parts. Just one player on both sides averages more than 15 points per game in offenses that love the halfcourt and avoid transition. Both operate among the 40 slowest offenses in America, which explains the total being set at 128.5.
I love both sides here, but this spread feels a bit high even at just 2.5 and it wouldn’t be a shock to see this one come down to the final possession.
Although Houston has completely won me over during their tournament run, there is still one player I trust most in this matchup and it’s Villanova point guard Collin Gillespie.
I’ll back the dog here with the team that has been in this spot before. They rank 35th in minutes continuity while the Cougars are a lowly 322nd, a tiebreaker when you get this deep into the NCAA tournament.
Houston vs. Duke Prediction
The Play: Villanova +2.5 (-110)
