A key college battle sees the visiting Villanova Wildcats travelling to Providence Saturday to take on the Friars.

Providence will face the 11-6 Wildcats, who own a 10-4 ATS mark on the season. In totals betting, the Friars are 8-3 favoring the UNDER so far this season while the Wildcats are 5-8 favoring the OVER.



View Villanova vs Providence Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as 4-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark, including Sportsbook. The total was set to open a bit later (check out Sportsbook for the latest situation(.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Power Rankings at Odds Shark show No. 88-rated Villanova taking on the No. 37-rated Friars in this contest. The scores prediction computer here indicates a possible 72-70 win for the Friars on Saturday.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Providence's No. 160-ranked offense, averaging 68.5 PPG, against a Wildcats defense that ranks No. 182 at 66.5 PPG. The Friars field goal percentage has averaged 42.2% so far, more than the Wildcats marksmen have achieved on the year, 40.4% per game.

Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Villanova owns the country's No. 86-rated mark, allowing 65.4 points per game on the highway. Providence, on the other hand, rates No. 233 in scoring at home.

In their last action, Villanova was a 58-43 loser at home against Pittsburgh. They failed to cover the 5-point spread as underdogs. Darrun Hilliard scored 14 points in a futile effort to lead the Wildcats to a win (they lost 58-43 to Pittsburgh at Villanova Pavilion on Wednesday).

In their last action, Providence was a 74-65 loser on the road against Georgetown. They failed to cover the 7.5-point spread as underdogs. Providence suffered a 74-65 loss against Georgetown on Wednesday, getting 21 points from Bryce Cotton in a losing effort at Verizon Center.


Villanova Wildcats Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 8-2
Before playing Louisville are 8-2
After playing Pittsburgh are 6-4
After a loss are 4-6

Providence Friars Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing Pittsburgh are 4-6
After playing Georgetown are 2-8
After a loss are 3-7

A few Wildcats at Friars trends to consider:
Villanova is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Providence
Villanova is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Villanova's last 6 games when playing on the road against Providence
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Providence's last 6 games
Providence is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Providence's last 6 games when playing Villanova
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Providence's last 6 games when playing at home against Villanova


Next up:
Villanova home to Louisville, Tuesday, January 22
Providence home to Pittsburgh, Tuesday, January 22