Teams battling to stay in the upper echelon of the Big East standings meet when the Villanova Wildcats take on the two-time defending national champion Connecticut Huskies on Tuesday night. Villanova is coming off a 75-62 loss at Providence on Saturday, while UConn dropped a 69-68 decision at Seton Hall that same day. The Wildcats (15-11, 8-7 Big East), tied for fifth with Xavier, are 2-6 on the road this season. The Huskies (17-8, 9-5 Big East), fourth in the league, are 10-2 on their home court.
Tipoff from XL Center in Hartford, Conn., is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. Villanova defeated then-No. 9 UConn 68-66 on Jan. 8, the last meeting between the teams. The Huskies are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Villanova vs. UConn odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 139.5. Before making any UConn vs. Villanova 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 16 of the 2024-25 season on a 213-158 betting roll (+1675) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Villanova vs. UConn. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for UConn vs. Villanova:
- Villanova vs. UConn spread: UConn -8.5
- Villanova vs. UConn over/under: 139.5 points
- Villanova vs. UConn money line: UConn -389, Villanova +303
- Villanova vs. UConn picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Villanova vs. UConn streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why you should back UConn
Freshman forward Liam McNeeley is off to a solid start to his collegiate career. He has registered four double-doubles, including two in the last three games. In a 70-66 win at Creighton on Feb. 11, he poured in 38 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He had 18 points and 11 boards in a 68-62 loss to St. John’s on Feb. 7. In 17 games, including 16 starts, he is averaging 15.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 31.4 minutes.
Sophomore guard Solo Ball has recorded two double-doubles on the year. In a 77-69 win at Marquette on Feb. 1, he scored 25 points, while adding 11 rebounds and three assists. He had 20 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in a 76-72 loss at Xavier on Jan. 25. In 25 games, all starts, he is averaging 14.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 32 minutes. He is connecting on 45.1% of his shots from the floor, including a blistering 44.3% from 3-point range, and 80.6% from the free throw line. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back Villanova
Senior forward Eric Dixon has been dominant at times this season, and has scored no fewer than 14 points in any game in 2024-25. He had a near double-double on Saturday at Providence, scoring 15 points, while grabbing nine rebounds. He had 24 points, five rebounds and three assists in an 80-68 win over Xavier on Feb. 9. In 25 games, all starts, is averaging 23.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 34.4 minutes. He is connecting on 46.4% of his field goals, including 42.1% from 3-point range, and 84.4% at the foul stripe.
Also powering the Wildcats is senior guard Wooga Poplar. The transfer from Miami (Fla.) has started 24 of 26 games this season, and is averaging 14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.5 minutes. In the loss to Providence on Saturday, he scored 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds and added two steals. He had 15 points and 13 rebounds in a 75-73 win over Providence on Jan. 17. See which team to pick here.
How to make Connecticut vs. Villanova picks
SportsLine’s model is going over on the total, projecting 151 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Villanova vs. UConn, and which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $1,600 on its college basketball picks dating back to 2023, and find out.
