Don’t expect a high-scoring game when the DePaul Blue Demons (9-19) visit Villanova to take on the No. 3-ranked Wildcats (25-4). Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 1 and can be seen on FS1.
The Wildcats defeated Marquette 89-79 on Saturday. Josh Hart led all scorers on the team with 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting. The Blue Demons are coming off a deflating 87-66 loss at the hands of Providence on Saturday. Eli Cain led the team in scoring with 22 points.
Over the last five games, Daniel Ochefu has taken his game to another level for the Wildcats, averaging 14.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.0 block.
The inefficient offense of the Blue Demons (279th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 99.9) will look to break through against the top-notch defense of the Wildcats (eighth in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 93.9). The matchup on that end of the court seems to benefit Villanova.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Wildcats winning the first matchup 86-59. Hart had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 18 points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal, and three three-pointers.
The Wildcats enter the game with records of 25-4 Straight Up (SU) and 15-13 Against The Spread (ATS). The Wildcats have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 65.1 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 76.8 points per game. The Wildcats are a phenomenal shooting team from the line with a Division I-best .786 free throw percentage. Villanova has the 38th-most assists in Division I, averaging 15.9 per game. Opposing teams know they’re in for a battle when they play Villanova’s stingy defense. The Wildcats are one of the top teams when it comes to defense, allowing just 63.1 points per game. Teams have to fight for open shots against the Wildcats, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .393. Villanova will look to take advantage of the Blue Demons and their propensity to foul. DePaul ranks 339th in the nation in fouls, averaging 22.5 per game.
On the other side, the Blue Demons have 9-19 SU and 9-17-1 ATS records. During the last 10 games, they averaged 79.0 PPG, above their 68.2 PPG season average. The DePaul defense has allowed an average of 67.8 points per game during the last 10 games, lower than their season average of 74.7.
Villanova beat DePaul in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against DePaul to 10-0 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. With a 7-3 record, the Wildcats also have the advantage ATS. Villanova had the advantage in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) four times over the last five matchups. DePaul has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Vill, ATS Winner – Vill
Notes
Villanova averages 76.8 points per game (ranked 80th). DePaul, on the other hand, allows 74.7 points per game (ranked 202nd).
DePaul scores just 65.2 points per away game (ranked 216th). Villanova ranks 11th in points allowed at home, giving up 59.8 points.
Ranked 37th, the Villanova Wildcats have an offensive rating of 113.6. The DePaul Blue Demons rank 254th with a defensive rating of just 108.9.
The DePaul Blue Demons average 68.3 possessions per game and .999 points per possession. The Villanova Wildcats earn fewer possessions with 67.6, but they score more points with 1.136.
The Villanova Wildcats average an effective field goal percentage of 53.8% this season. The DePaul Blue Demons have a subpar record of 2-9 when opponents have an eFG% of 53.8% or greater.
On average, the Villanova Wildcats attempt 25.0 three point field goals per game and the DePaul Blue Demons attempt 16.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Villanova has a stellar 18-4 record, while DePaul is 2-3.
Villanova ranks 37th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.38. DePaul is ranked lower at 321st with an A/TO of .81.
DePaul makes an average of 5.0 steals per game. Villanova has a superb 21-4 record when it allows at least 4 steals.
