Butler vs. Villanova Prediction, Odds for College Basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 25

Time is running out for Villanova to catch St. John's or UConn atop the Big East, but the good news is they're 3.5 games clear of fourth place, so the Wildcats should feel no urgent pressure in the final stretch of the regular season.

Meanwhile, the Butler Bulldogs are feeling some pressure as just one game seperates sixth place DePaul and last-place Marquette in the Big East, with Butler sandwiched right in the middle. Every game from here on out is important for their seeding heading into the conference tournament.

Let's take a look at the odds and my best bet for this Big East showdown.

Butler vs. Villanova Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Spread

Butler +10 (-110)
Villanova -10 (-110)

Moneyline

Butler +430
Villanova -599

Total

OVER 146.5 (-110)
UNDER 146.5 (-110)

Butler vs. Villanova How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, February 25
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
Venue: Finneran Pavilion
How to Watch (TV): FS1
Butler Record: 15-13 (6-11 in Big East)
Villanova Record: 21-6 (12-4 in Big East)

Butler vs. Villanova Betting Trends

Butler is 7-13 ATS in its last 20 games
Butler is 0-8 ATS in its last eight road games vs. Villanova
Villanova is 6-3 ATS in its last nine games
The OVER is 5-1 in Villanova's last five games

Butler vs. Villanova Key Player to Watch

Finley Bizjack, G - Butler Bulldogs

Finley Bizjack is the primary scorer for Butler, averaging 17.5 points per game this season, while shooting 43.9% from the field. For the Bulldogs to hang with the Villanova offense, they need their best shooters to bring their "A" game tonight. If Bizjack does exactly that, look for Butler to have a chance to pull off the unlikely upset.

Butler vs. Villanova Prediction and Pick

There's no denying that Villanova has the better overall shooting and defensive numbers, but if styles make fights, then the Bulldogs may be live to pull off an upset in this spot.

The weakness of the Villanova defense is its front court. The Wildcats can defend the perimeter, but teams have shot 51.4% from two-point range against them. That lines up exactly with Butler's offensive strengths, so I envision the Bulldogs finding some level of offensive success.

On the other side of the court, Butler has defended the perimeter well this season, which is good news now that they face a 3-point shooting team in Villanova.

It's also worth noting that Villanova's shooting numbers have fallen off of late. Their effective field goal percentage has dropped 4.2% over their last three games compared to their season average. It may be a good time to sell some stock in their offense.

Pick: Butler +10 (-110)

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