With a wild first weekend of the NCAA Tournament in the books, sports bettors should expect the madness to continue in Thursday’s Miami-Villanova clash. Sportsbooks opened No. 2 Villanova as 4.5-point favorites, with the total set at 142.5. The No. 3 Hurricanes have traditionally fared well in this series, covering the spread in seven of their last 10 meetings with ‘Nova.
- Everyone one of Villanova’s sweet sixteen games in our records have gone UNDER (0-4 OU).
- The total has gone OVER in six of Villanova's last eight games in March.
- Villanova is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games against teams with winning records.
The Wildcats cruised to easy wins in the first two rounds, but this game won’t be a cakewalk for Jay Wright’s crew. Guards Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan were on a different level during Miami's victory over Wichita State, and they’ll need to come up big once again versus a very good Wildcats backcourt that features Josh Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono.
The ‘Canes have been far from a safe bet lately, however. Miami is an ugly 1-4 ATS in their past five games. If they can pull out a win, this team will be in unchartered territory, as the Hurricanes have never won a game in the Sweet Sixteen.
Miami Hurricanes vs Villanova Wildcats Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Villanova Wildcats sit at 31-5 (18-17 ATS) on the college basketball season. By comparison, the Miami Hurricanes are currently 27-7 (19-13-1 ATS). Looking to bet on the total points scored? Villanova is 19-16 OU, and Miami is 16-17 OU.
It's a betting matchup between the No. 38-rated Villanova Wildcats and the No. 112-ranked Miami Hurricanes, according to the latest pro hoops power rankings here at Odds Shark.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits Villanova's No. 59-ranked offense, averaging 77.5 PPG, against a Hurricanes defense that ranks No. 45 at 66.68 PPG. The Wildcats field goal percentage has averaged 47.39% so far, less than the Hurricanes marksmen have achieved on the year, 47.73% per game.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Hurricanes grabbed a 65-57 win over the Shockers on Saturday, behind a 28-point effort from Angel Rodriguez at Dunkin Donuts Center.
The Wildcats got 19 points from Josh Hart as Villanova ran past Iowa 87-68 on Sunday at Barclays Center.
