Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Villanova and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have jumped out to a quick 32-25 lead against UConn.
Villanova came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
UConn Huskies @ Villanova Wildcats
Current Records: UConn 12-3, Villanova 10-5
How To Watch
- When: Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Finneran Pavilion — Villanova, Pennsylvania
- TV: Fox Sports 1
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $78.90
What to Know
UConn and Villanova are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2018, but not for long. Both will face off in a Big East battle at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Finneran Pavilion. The Huskies will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.
UConn’s offense and defense might be a bit winded after their high-scoring matchup with Providence on Sunday. UConn skirted past Providence 87-84. The victory came about thanks to a strong surge starting at the 19:36 mark of the second half, when the Huskies were facing a 41-27 deficit.
UConn’s win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Hassan Diarra, who had 19 points along with eight assists and three steals. Another player making a difference was Solomon Ball, who went 5 for 9 en route to 16 points.
Even though they won, UConn struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only five offensive rebounds. That’s the fewest offensive rebounds they’ve posted since back in March of 2024.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Villanova). They put a hurting on DePaul to the tune of 100-56 on Saturday. The Wildcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five contests by 24 points or more this season.
Villanova’s success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Eric Dixon led the charge by earning 25 points plus five rebounds. Dixon’s afternoon made it seven games in a row in which he has scored at least 22.4 points. Jordan Longino was another key player, going 7 for 9 en route to 19 points plus two steals.
UConn pushed their record up to 12-3 with the victory, which was their 24th straight at home dating back to last season. As for Villanova, they are on a roll lately: they’ve won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. UConn hasn’t had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 83.9 points per game. However, it’s not like Villanova struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 80.1. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Looking ahead, UConn is expected to win a tight contest, barring any buzzer beaters. This contest will be their fifth straight as the favorites (so far over this stretch they are 1-3 against the spread).
Odds
UConn is a slight 1.5-point favorite against Villanova, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Huskies as a 2.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 147 points.
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Series History
Villanova and UConn both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Feb 24, 2024 – UConn 78 vs. Villanova 54
- Jan 20, 2024 – UConn 66 vs. Villanova 65
- Mar 04, 2023 – UConn 71 vs. Villanova 59
- Dec 28, 2022 – UConn 74 vs. Villanova 66
- Mar 11, 2022 – Villanova 63 vs. UConn 60
- Feb 22, 2022 – UConn 71 vs. Villanova 69
- Feb 05, 2022 – Villanova 85 vs. UConn 74
- Feb 20, 2021 – Villanova 68 vs. UConn 60
- Jan 18, 2020 – Villanova 61 vs. UConn 55
- Dec 22, 2018 – Villanova 81 vs. UConn 58
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