7:02 pm
December 11

#17 Villanova @ Penn

What will be the GAME RESULT?

#17 Villanova: Wins By Double Digits

@ Penn: Wins or Single Digit Loss

 

Current odds:

Villanova: (TBD)

Penn: (TBD)

 

• The line for this game is Vilanova by 7 points.

• Villanova has turned Big 5 play into its own personal annual showcase. The 16th-ranked Wildcats aim to continue their run of brilliance against local rivals Tuesday when they visit Pennsylvania. The Wildcats and Quakers are among five Philadelphia area schools who play a round-robin every season, and Villanova has not lost a game in Big 5 play since December 2012. This season, the Wildcats are playing their Big 5 opponents in succession – a run that began with a win against La Salle, continued with a victory over Temple and most recently featured a 12-point win against Saint Joseph’s.

• In all, the Wildcats’ Big 5 winning streak sits at 25 games, although Penn is off to a pleasant start and certainly is a formidable foe, as it illustrated in last week’s win over Miami.

• The Wildcats are lacking talent compared to their two NCAA Tournament championship teams in the previous three seasons, but seniors Phil Booth and Eric Paschall are doing their parts offensively. Booth is averaging team highs of 15.6 points and 3.1 assists while leading the team with 22 made 3-pointers. Paschall averages 15 points and 5.8 rebounds and is coming off a strong all-around game (14 points, nine rebounds, five assists) against Saint Joseph’s.

• The Quakers defeated Miami by 14 points and then topped La Salle by 18 in their first Big 5 game of the campaign, as freshman reserve Michael Wang contributed significantly to both wins. Wang, who had not scored more than 14 points in any of the first eight games, has recorded 41 points on 16-of-21 shooting (7-of-10 from beyond the arc) in the last two contests. Devon Goodman averages a team-high 15.1 points, while A.J. Brodeur (13.2) has contributed 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in the last two wins.

• Samuels has 26 points in the last two games after scoring a total of two points in the previous five games combined.

• Villanova defeated Penn for the 15th straight time in the series 90-62 last season.

• Wildcats F Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree (17) is the only Villanova player with more than six blocks on the season.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Penn: Wins or Single Digit Loss
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