Winthrop vs. Villanova Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
Are the No. 5-seeded Villanova Wildcats in danger of being upset by the No. 12-seeded Winthrop Eagles? It’s definitely worth a conversation. The Wildcats will be without All-American point guard Collin Gillespie, who suffered a torn MCL. Gillespie’s loss can’t be overstated.
Winthrop vs. Villanova NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
Villanova was a 6-point favourite on the NCAA odds board at the open before moving to -6.5 two days later. About 70 per cent of early bets are backing the Eagles to cover. There is strong betting support for this game playing over 143 points, too. However, each of these teams played under their posted totals in four of their last five regular season games.
(12) Winthrop Eagles
Winthrop has just one NCAA Tournament win in school history, but this club is dangerous. The Eagles run a quick offence led by point guard Chandler Vaudrin, and the team boasts some size inside and athleticism on the wings. They went 20-1 in the Big South this season while averaging nearly 80 points per game. The Eagles also take care of business on the glass. They were 11th in the country in offensive rebounding and 32nd in defensive rebounding. This is a very deep team as well, with 11 players averaging at least 11 minutes per game. One big concern is that Winthrop doesn’t shoot well from the charity stripe (67.9 per cent). If the Eagles can hit their free throws, they’re going to be a handful.
(5) Villanova Wildcats
Gillespie is considered by many as the best leader in all of college basketball. So while the Wildcats will miss his 14 points and 4.6 assists per game, the stats really only tell part of the story. It isn’t like Villanova is starved from talent without him though. Forward
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is a force down low with the capability to take over a game and the roster still features four players who averaged at least 10 points. That said, the Wildcats’ defence can be spotty and this isn’t a strong rebounding team. Gillespie’s loss will be felt, it’s just a matter of whether the team can hold it together if Winthrop puts them on the ropes.
