Villanova and Iowa will tip off Sunday’s March Madness action with the No. 2 seeded Wildcats looking to continue a stretch that’s seen No. 2 seeds go 13-3 (81.25%) vs No. 7 seeds in tournament play. Iowa opened as +6.5 underdogs, but they’ve been a complete stay away as far as spread bets are concerned as they’re just 1-8 ATS over their last nine games.
- Iowa is 4-3 ATS as underdogs this season.
- Villanova senior Daniel Ochefu recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in Round 1.
- Villanova is 6-1 O/U in their last seven Round 2 games.
‘Nova is coming off a cakewalk of a win in the first round over UNC Asheville where their stifling defense held the Bulldogs to just 56 points. A first round win didn’t come easy for Iowa though, as they sneaked by Temple 72-70, sealing the deal with a buzzer beater in overtime.
Villanova has performed well as a favorite in the 6.5 range, going 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games in that spot. They’re also on a run that’s seen them go 20-3 SU after winning the previous game in a matchup — they last beat Iowa in November of 2013.
Another trend working against Iowa is their 1-4 SU and ATS record after consecutive ATS losses. They’re also just 1-4 SU in their last five games in the second round of the tournament.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs Villanova Wildcats Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Villanova Wildcats sport a record of 30-5 and 17-17 ATS heading into this betting matchup, while the Iowa Hawkeyes have 22-10 and 15-16 ATS marks on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 18-16 for the Villanova Wildcats and 15-15-1 for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The Power Rankings at Odds Shark show No. 117-rated Iowa Hawkeyes taking on the No. 38-rated Villanova Wildcats in this contest.
Statistical Matchup
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Iowa Hawkeyes rank No. 55 in NCAA Basketball Division 1 with 38.38 per game. That compares with Villanova’s No. 166 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Villanova is college basketball's No. 36-ranked team at 8.69 per game, while the Iowa Hawkeyes rate No. 58 with 8.19 per game.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Iowa got 23 points from Jarrod Uthoff en route to a 72-70 victory over Temple on Friday at Barclays Center.
The battle between the Wildcats and Bulldogs didnt turn out to be much of a battle at all as UNC Asheville was handed a 86-56 defeat on Friday at Barclays Center.
