Villanova vs North Texas Odds
Despite the loss of Villanova’s best player in Colin Gillespie, the Wildcats trailed the trendy underdog in Winthrop.
Justin Moore’s health was at its best since he injured his ankle at the end of the regular season. Moore went for 15 points in 37 minutes as Villanova limited Winthrop to 36% shooting from the field.
North Texas pulled an unlikely upset on Purdue in overtime. Mean Green outscored the Boilermakers 17-8 during extra time and closed the game at 11-0.
Despite 20 aggressive rebounds, the boilermakers shot only 41% from the 2 point range. The curtain was cold from the perimeter.
North Texas continued its hot shooting from the outside, hitting 9-of-21 shots from long distance. This is head coach Grant McCasland’s first NCAA tournament and the first second-round game in North Texas in program history.
While North Texas has the ball
Mean Green loves slow motion, ranking 327th in the adjusted tempo on crime.
Texas- North Texas ranks 26th in the country in point shooting percentage and has the highest point distribution over long distances. The main player to watch is Javian Hamlet, as he is in the top 100 at the senior national level in support rate and free-throw shooting percentage.
Zachary could be the target player in Simmons Props, as Villanova doesn’t have the right rim protector.
While North Texas has one of the best effective field target numbers in the nation, Mean Mean doesn’t very often fall on the free-throw line. They rank 283rd in the free-throw rate but have a good charity bar shooting percentage of 74%.
The McCasland team must continue to catch fire from the outside in order to survive and move forward.
While Villanova has the ball
The Wildcats are looking for an additional outrageous identity in the post-Gillespie world.
Four players scored two points against Winthrop, but the 3-point and free-throw percentage is sustainable. The internal offense was not disappointed, with Jeremy Robinson-Earle leading all scorers.
Feeding this post was the strategy for head coach Wright and it will continue against the North Texas team which ranks 155th in average height.
Villanova ended the season with a heavy distribution of points coming from the side of the arc, as Jermaine Samuels and Caleb Daniels could continue their efforts in the tweed offense.
Villanova is the top team in the country in offensive turnover, with evidence of any theft or obstruction reported by Wintrop..
Condition analysis and pick
Villanova ranks 267th in defensive theft rate, which the game Hamlet can give maximum efficiency.
There should be no issues for Mean Green offense to run a slow half-court tempo and find a 3-point clean shot. North Texas was red-hot from the outside against Purdue, and that should continue against the Wildcats.
Villanova ranks 242nd in 3-point defense in shooting and 328th in blocks. This would be equivalent to a higher number in the shot-quality section for North Texas.
As Villanova continues to fight for a higher position with Robinson-Earl, Mean Green will foul to accompany Abu Osman for Simmons’ relief.
North Texas is 13th in the 2-point defense, and that poses a problem for the Villanova team, which relies on the interior following Gillespie’s injury.
North Texas will keep this close in its attempt to make its first Sweet 16.
Pick: North Texas +6.5 (Play at +6).
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