The Villanova Wildcats easily took care of business against the Radford Highlanders in an 87-61 win on Thursday, March 15 in the Round of 64. Villanova covered all numbers, opening as a 23.5-point favorite and closing as a 22.5-point favorite after a small run on the Highlanders this afternoon. This one went over the total of 138.5 by a comfortable margin, thanks to some superb shooting from the Wildcats.
They will be taking on the winner of the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 17. The betting odds for that showdown will be released soon by BetDSI Sportsbook, but Villanova should be around a 10-point favorite. The Wildcats are seen as the strongest of the No. 1 seeds by many, and the one that is the least likely to lose.
It was truly a complete performance from Villanova. The Wildcats controlled the action the whole way, jumping out to a 44-23 halftime lead before taking their foot off of the gas pedal. Villanova had six players finish in double figures in terms of scoring, and as a whole the team shot nearly 60 percent from the floor.
The one thing that head coach Jay Wright won’t let his team forget is how many turnovers it committed. Villanova turned the ball over 13 times in this game, a surprising amount for a team that is considered to play some of the most mistake-free basketball in the country. He knows that the Wildcats might stumble in the next round if they are that loose with the ball against a tougher opponent.
Before the start of the NCAA Tournament, Villanova was considered the favorite to take home its second title in three seasons. The Wildcats were +400 to win March Madness at BetDSI. Virginia Tech and Alabama had considerably longer odds with Virginia Tech at +17000, while Alabama was +20000.
