The Villanova Wildcats will battle the Saint Joseph’s Hawks as they tip off pod play in the 2024 Philadelphia Big 5 Classic on Tuesday. In the tournament formula, each Philadelphia school visits one opponent and hosts another. On Dec 7, all six schools will take part in a tripleheader at the Wells Fargo Center to determine a champion. Saint Joseph’s took the title last year, the first time with this format. The Wildcats (2-1) defeat NJIT 91-54 on Friday, while the Hawks fell to Central Connecticut State 73-67 that same night.
Tip-off from Hagan Arena in Philadelphia is set for 5 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. Villanova leads the all-time series 55-26, but Saint Joseph’s won last year’s meeting 78-65. The Wildcats are 3-point favorites in the latest Villanova vs. Saint Joseph’s odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 142.5. Before making any Villanova vs. Saint Joseph’s picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 2 of the 2024-25 season on a 155-110 betting roll (+2102) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Villanova vs. Saint Joseph’s. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for Villanova vs. Saint Joseph’s:
- Villanova vs. Saint Joseph’s spread: Villanova -3
- Villanova vs. Saint Joseph’s over/under: 142.5 points
- Villanova vs. Saint Joseph’s money line: Villanova -160, Saint Joseph’s +134
- VILL: The Wildcats are 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games
- SJ: The Hawks are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games
- Villanova vs. Saint Joseph’s picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Villanova vs. Saint Joseph’s streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why you should back Villanova
Senior forward Eric Dixon has been red hot since coming back from a one-game NCAA suspension to start the season. He registered a double-double in the win over NJIT, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He had 33 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists in a 90-80 loss to Columbia on Nov. 6. In 34 starts last season, Dixon averaged 16.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 30.5 minutes.
Also helping power the Wildcats is senior guard Wooga Poplar. In three games, all starts, he is averaging 16 points, 7.3 rebounds, two assists and 1.7 steals in 32 minutes. He is connecting on 51.4% of his field goals, including 40% from 3-point range. In a 75-63 season-opening win over Lafayette, he registered a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back Saint Joseph’s
Sophomore guard Xzayvier Brown is off to a solid start to his season. In two games, he is averaging 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and 2.5 steals in 35 minutes of action. He poured in 22 points, grabbed five rebounds and added three assists and three steals in a 70-63 season-opening win over Navy on Nov. 4. Last season in 35 games, including 13 starts, he averaged 12.7 points, four rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals in 30.9 minutes.
Senior guard Erik Reynolds II has picked up where he left off last season. He poured in 29 points, grabbed five rebounds and added two assists in 37 minutes in the win over Navy. Last season, he played in and started 35 games, averaging 17.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 34.6 minutes. For his career, Reynolds has started 97 of the 98 games he has appeared in, averaging 16.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 34 minutes. See which team to pick here.
