It’s Thanksgiving Day in New York for the Stanford Cardinal and the No. 8 Villanova Wildcats, as they go up against each other in the National Invitational Tournament tipoff game at Barclay Center. The Cardinal have lost their last two games, while the defending Big East champions are undefeated so far this season.
Into college football? Go ahead and read our previews of Notre Dame vs. Stanford and here for Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Stanford Cardinal vs. Villanova Wildcats Preview
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn
When: Thursday, November 26, 2:00 PM ET
Line: Stanford Cardinal vs. Villanova Wildcats – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Stanford Cardinal (2-2, 0-0 Pac-12)
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Winning the NIT championship last April was nice for Stanford, but the momentum the Cardinal got from that title run has apparently fizzled out this early in the 2015 NCAA season. Now playing without their top three scorers from last season, the Cardinal have lost two of their first four games of the season, which includes a 78-61 defeat at the hands of St. Mary’s on Sunday.
The Cardinal’s offense that averaged 90.3 points over the previous three games sputtered in the St. Mary’s game. It’s easy to spot who the goats were in this one. There’s Malcolm Allen, who despite being the team’s leading scorer with 16.0 PPG, mustered just four points. Rosco Allen (12.5 PPG), meanwhile, only chipped in two points. A repeat of those ghostly acts from the two Allens would certainly submarine Stanford’s chances of winning against a Villanova side that holds opponents to only 56.0 points per game this season.
Reid Travis, meanwhile, was a bright spot for Stanford in the loss to the Gaels, as the forward put up 18 points while leading the team with seven boards. Travis has scored in double figures in all Stanford games thus far this season.
Rebounding hasn’t been a strength of the Cardinal, as they’re collaring just 34.5 RPG, good for only 276th in the nation.
The under is 3-0 in Stanford’s last three games on the road.
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Betting on the Villanova Wildcats (4-0, 0-0 Big East)
Now given starter minutes, Josh Hart is making sure Jay Wright’s confidence in him is fully deserved. Hart, who moved to the starting unit after spending two years as the team’s first man off the bench, is leading the team in scoring with 16.5 PPG.
In the Wildcats’ 75-56 taming of the Akron Zips on Sunday, Hart exploded for a career-high 27 points. A big 6-5 guard, Hart also plucked down nine rebounds, while shooting 11-for-21 from the field. Hart’s emergence as a bonafide scorer has been a blessing for the Wildcats, who lost key starters Darrun Hilliard, JayVaughn Pinkston and Dylan Ennis.
Ryan Arcidiacono, however, is still on the team, giving Villanova an experienced leader and a solid complement to Hart in the backcourt. Arcidiacono is second in the team in scoring with 13.3 PPG, while dishing out 5.5 APG. Arch had 15 points and eight assists against the Zips, whom Villanova bombarded with nine threes.
Outside shooting has been a lethal weapon for the Wildcats over the past few years and this season is no different, as the team is burying 10.5 treys per game so far. Junior forward Kris Jenkins has been lighting it up from beyond the arc. He leads the team with 11 threes, which includes the three three-pointers he knocked down against Akron.
Up against Stanford’s suspect defense, it’s fair to expect Villanova to dominate on offense. Villanova is 61st in the nation with 84.8 PPG on 46.6% shooting.
Villanova is 3-0 ATS in its last three games overall.
Writer’s Prediction
Villanova wins, 74-65.
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