Georgetown (9-9, 1-6) will look to bounce back on the Main Line tonight against Villanova (14-4, 5-2). It’s been a tale of two seasons for these programs. The Hoyas, in year three under Ed Cooley, have now dropped five straight games. As for the Wildcats, they appear NCAA Tournament-bound under new head coach Kevin Willard. Still, throw those records out the window: (Dick Vitale voice) “It’s the Big East, baby!”
Which of these old-school rivals will pick up a win in Philly tonight? Villanova enters as 8.5-point favorites (-110) over Georgetown. The total is set at 143.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s a college basketball pick, preview and prediction for tonight’s game between the Hoyas and Wildcats.
Georgetown vs. Villanova prediction, preview
This season started with promise for the Hoyas, but the past few weeks have been brutal. Lackluster in-conference play has been a calling card for the last decade-plus of Georgetown basketball. Still, it’s not as if this group is severely lacking in talent. Six different members of the roster are former top-100 recruits. On offense, juniors KJ Lewis and Malik Mack form a potent backcourt. Together, the duo have combined for 29.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. Up front, Julius Halaifonua and Caleb Williams are both averaging over ten points.
Still, there are some glaring weaknesses here on offense. The Hoyas rank inside the Big East’s bottom four schools in field goal percentage (43.6%) and three-point percentage (31.4%). Finding a reliable interior scorer has been a challenge, as well. That’s without mentioning their lackluster play on the other end of the floor. Per KenPom, Georgetown’s 108.3 adjusted defensive efficiency ranks 125th in all of college basketball. That’s the second-worst mark in the conference, only ahead of Providence (110.7).
If there’s any solace for the Hoyas, they’ve hung tough against good opponents. On Saturday, they dropped a 64-62 nailbiter vs. UConn. In addition, Georgetown lost by three against both Xavier and Creighton. It’s been the exact opposite story for Villanova, a team that keeps eking out close victories. Willard’s crew has pulled out single-digit wins over Providence, Marquette, and DePaul, not exactly world-beaters. With that being said, sleep on the Wildcats at your own peril. They’ve already earned three Quad-1 wins away from home this season.
Playing in front of a raucous Finneran Pavillion crowd should motivate Nova tonight. These squads are built in a similar fashion, relying heavily on production from their guards. Where the two programs differ is that the Wildcats are far more balanced. Six different players on this club are averaging at least 9.9 points per game. Villanova ranks 23rd on KenPom in adjusted offensive efficiency. However, a glacial pace often keeps their matchups low-scoring. Bryce Lindsay, Tyler Perkins, and freshman standout Acaden Lewis form a dangerous trio of ball handlers. They could give the Hoya duo of Mack and Lewis some problems on defense.
Georgetown vs. Villanova pick, best bet
At this point, it’s difficult to back the Hoyas in any capacity. The UConn defeat showed some mental fortitude, but it came at home. Traveling to Philadelphia is a whole different ballgame. This season, Georgetown is 2-5 when playing outside of the DMV; Villanova is 7-2 at home. The Wildcats aren’t exactly sure things, but they’ve been able to churn out multiple double-digit wins this season. A similar showing on Wednesday shouldn’t come as a surprise.
