Villanova has reason to celebrate; the Wildcats are a No. 1 seed and heavy favorite in their opening game. (Getty)
As Round of 64 contests go, you won’t find a much bigger spread than Villanova over Lafayette.
The No. 1 seed in the East is a 20-plus point favorite over the No. 16 Leopards, the surprising Patriot League Tournament winner.
But since 2010, the Wildcats are 0-4 when favored by 20 or more points.
‘Nova comes in the NCAA Tournament on a tear, winning 15 straight, including 13-2 against the spread.
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The below odds and stats are from sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. They are subject to change.
Villanova-Lafayette Point Spread
Villanova … -23
Lafayette … +23
Villanova was 24-10 against the spread, including 8-2 in the last 10 games.
‘Nova is 7-0 ATS in the past 7 as double-digit favorites.
Lafayette is 4-5 against the spread.
For the OddsShark stats and odds preview for this game, click here.
Villanova-Lafayette Over-Under
Over-Under … 146.5
Villanova has a 15-19 record vs. the over-under, while Lafayette is 5-4.
The OVER has won in 5 of the last 8 ‘Nova games, but the UNDER has come in on the last 3, all in the Big East.
Villanova-Lafayette Odds to Win the Tournament
Villanova … 11/1
Lafayette … 1000/1
Villanova’s 11-1 odds are the lowest of all No. 1 seeds, though considering the other top seeds are Kentucky, Duke and Wisconsin, that’s understandable. The Wildcats are the slight favorites over Virginia to emerge from the East.
You won’t find tougher odds than the 1000/1 chances for Lafayette. Again, a No. 16 has never even advanced out the Round of 64 and it’s probably not happening Thursday … but. There’s always a “but.” Villanova has lost 3 of its past 4 NCAA Tournament games when favored.
The Basics
Who:
No. 1 Villanova (32-2) vs. No. 16 Lafayette (20-12)
What:
NCAA Tournament Round of 64 – East Region
When:
Thursday
Where:
CONSOL Energy Center – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Time:
6:50 p.m. Eastern
Channel:
TBS
