This matchup between the Georgetown Hoyas and Villanova Wildcats will take place at the Wells Fargo Center. The game starts at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 5 and will air on FOX.
The Wildcats easily got past DePaul 83-62 on Tuesday. Kris Jenkins was the game’s high scorer with 31 points on 11-for-18 shooting. The Hoyas, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their bitter 88-87 loss to Marquette on Tuesday. Isaac Copeland led the game in scoring with 32 points.
Jenkins has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Wildcats. During that stretch, he has averaged 21.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 3.8 three-pointers.
From an eFG% perspective, this will be a balanced matchup. The upper-echelon Villanova offense ranks 34th in the nation in that metric at 54.0%, while Georgetown is 33rd-best in the nation at forcing opponents’ misses (46.1%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Wildcats won the first game 55-50. Josh Hart put up a double-double in the victory with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The Wildcats are looking to build on their records of 26-4 Straight Up (SU) and 15-14 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games. The Wildcats are an incredibly accurate shooting team from the line with a Division I-best .782 free throw percentage. Villanova is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.42. As for the Villanova defense, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Wildcats. The 63.0 points that Villanova’s defense allows per game makes them the 12th-ranked defense in the country. Opposing offenses have been stifled by the Wildcats, who allow a field goal percentage of only .395. Villanova will look to take advantage of the Hoyas and their propensity to foul. Georgetown ranks 345th in the nation in fouls, averaging 23.0 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Hoyas head into the game with records of 14-16 both ATS and SU. The Hoyas convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 16th in the nation at .759. The Georgetown defense has allowed an average of 65.8 points per game during the last 10 games, lower than their season average of 71.7.
In their previous meeting this season, Villanova beat Georgetown, bumping its SU record to 6-4 over Georgetown in their most recent meetings. The Hoyas lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Villanova held the edge in all three of these categories once in the last five meetings. Georgetown never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Vill, ATS Winner – Vill
Notes
“Villanova is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Villanova is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Villanova’s last 5 games “.
“Villanova is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home”.
“Villanova is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Villanova’s last 6 games at home”.
“Villanova is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Georgetown”.
“Villanova is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Georgetown”.
“Villanova is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Georgetown”.
The Villanova Wildcats hold a solid 15-2 SU record in matchups against Big East Conference rivals, while the Georgetown Hoyas currently sit at 7-10 in these games.
Georgetown averages 74.1 points per game, placing the team just 123rd in the nation. Villanova ranks 12th in points allowed, giving up 63.0 points per game.
Villanova won its last game by a 21-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Georgetown is 4-1. Villanova is 11-1 in blowouts this season.
Ranked 31st, the Villanova Wildcats have an offensive rating of 114.2. The Georgetown Hoyas rank 146th with a defensive rating of just 104.2.
The Georgetown Hoyas average 69.6 possessions per game and 1.065 points per possession. The Villanova Wildcats earn fewer possessions with 67.4, but they score more points with 1.142.
Georgetown has an average effective field goal percentage of 51.5%. Villanova is an even 4-4 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Villanova attempts an average of 25.0 three pointers per game and Georgetown attempts 23.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Villanova Wildcats have an outstanding 19-4 record while the Georgetown Hoyas have an 11-12 record.
Villanova ranks 32nd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.42. Georgetown is ranked lower at 128th with an A/TO of 1.13.
The Georgetown Hoyas make an average of 5.6 steals per game. When the Villanova Wildcats give up 5 or more steals, they are an exceptional 18-2.
