Villanova Wildcats vs. Winthrop Betting Preview

The 5th-seeded Villanova Wildcats will take on the number 12 Winthrop Eagles in a First Round matchup in the South Region on Friday night. The winner of this game will advance to take on the winner of Purdue/North Texas on Sunday.

Villanova brings a 16-6 record into this matchup, and they won the regular-season title in the Big East Conference. The Wildcats have lost three of their last four games, and they will be looking to regroup in a hurry.

Winthrop won the Big South Conference this season, and they put together a historic regular season run. The Eagles lost just one game all season while picking up 23 wins by an average of close to 13 points per game.

The Villanova Wildcats are 6.5-point favorites over the Winthrop Eagles on Friday night.

Wildcats Missing Their Leader

The Villanova Wildcats enter the NCAA Tournament without point guard Collin Gillespie, who was lost for the season due to injury. Gillespie set the tone for the offense with 4.6 assists per game, and he is also the clear leader of this team.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl leads the team with 15.7 points per game, and he will need to step up his play if the Wildcats are going to advance. Villanova is scoring close to 76 points per game, but that offense is expected to take a hit without Gillespie.

Villanova will also look to lean on their defense to hand Winthrop their second loss of the year. The Wildcats are holding opponents to just 67 points per game this season.

Winthrop Winning With Offense

The Winthrop Eagles come into March Madness scoring 79.5 points per game, and this team can light it up in a hurry. Winthrop has also held opponents to just 66 points per game, but they have not faced really strong competition.

Winthrop has four different players averaging at least 10 points per game, and this team can really shoot the basketball. The Eagles have made 35 percent of their shots from deep, and they won’t be afraid to take some quick shots.

The Eagles are an extremely confident team, and they won’t be afraid of taking on the Villanova Wildcats.

Winthrop Wins in Dramatic Fashion

The loss of Collin Gillespie leaves Villanova without their best playmaker, and that also makes them prone to be upset. This Villanova team was a legitimate Final Four contender before that injury, but they are now on high alert.

Even though Winthrop plays in a much weaker conference, losing just one game all season long is quite an accomplishment. The Eagles know how to win games, and that will come into play late in this matchup.

Beating the Villanova Wildcats is still going to be a challenge for Winthrop, but it is one that this team will be ready for. There will be some big upsets in the NCAA Tournament, and this will be one of the biggest.

Take the Winthrop Eagles money line over the Villanova Wildcats in this South Region matchup on Friday night.

Keep up with your latest college basketball news and betting pick previews at The Dunkel Index.

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