Villanova survived the onslaught of top-10 losses last weekend by virtue of not playing any games. Now it gets a matchup with a top team anyway as the Wildcats host #9 Providence on Tuesday. Villanova can’t outright win the Big East as Providence has locked up its own share, but it can certainly make its case for some better seeding in the NCAA Tournament.
How to watch Providence vs. Villanova Basketball
Game Matchup: #9 Providence (24-3, 14-2 SEC, 1st in Big East) vs. #11 Villanova (21-7, 14-4 SEC, 2nd in Big East)
Venue & Location: Finneran Pavilion (Villanova, PA)
Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1 (Watch 7 days free with fuboTV)
Providence last lost to Villanova a couple of weeks ago at home so you can imagine the Friars will be looking for revenge at Villanova’s place now. It’s going to take a lot more defense from the Friars this time around as they let the Wildcats score 89 points in the last meeting.
Providence vs. Villanova Basketball Game Betting Preview
If this game is another close one — and it’s looking to be that way — it could come down to free throws yet again. Providence is the much more proficient team when it comes to getting to the charity stripe. However, Villanova is the best team in the country at actually making those free throws with an 82.7% make rate.
The other difference in this game is likely to be turnovers (as it is in most games) with Villanova only giving up the ball about 10 times per game. Providence fumbles the ball away about 12 times a game and while the two turnover differences might not seem like much, that is the kind of stuff that decides games.
Providence should feed big man Nate Watson consistently throughout this game as he’s going to be a handful for the Villanova big men. Meanwhile, the guard play for the Wildcats will likely decide the outcome as Collin Gillespie, Justin Moore, Brandon Slater, and Caleb Daniels will likely have to do most of the damage for the Wildcats on Tuesday.
