Villanova will look to keep its NCAA Tournament dreams alive tonight against UConn.

Villanova and UConn will meet for the third time this season tonight at Madison Square Garden. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET (FS1). Here are the best Villanova vs. UConn prediction, odds, and expert picks for this huge Big East quarterfinal matchup.

The two teams split the regular-season series with the Huskies winning by seven at home and the Wildcats winning by two on their home floor. The Huskies are favored by 6.5 points tonight. Can they end the Wildcats’ March Madness hopes?

💰 Villanova vs. UConn predictions, expert picks & best bets: Big East quarterfinal

Here are my best Villanova vs. UConn predictions, expert picks, and best bets today for Big East quarterfinal with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our college basketball picks along with our guide on how to bet on college basketball.

• Against the spread pick: Villanova +6.5 (-110 via BetMGM) vs. UConn ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• My best player prop bet: Eric Dixon Over 21.5 points (-118 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Exact score prediction: UConn 69, Villanova 66 (+14000 via DraftKings)

👉 Check out our latest March Madness projections with our SBR Bracketology ahead of the NCAA Tournament!

🏀 Villanova vs. UConn ATS prediction & best player prop bet pick

Here's why I'm betting on Villanova to cover the spread (+6.5) while targeting Eric Dixon Over 21.5 points as my best player prop bet pick for today:

✅ Villanova to cover the spread (+6.5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Huskies have won four consecutive games with three of those victories coming by 12 or more points. However, this spread is too large for me to confidently back them. The Wildcats needed to play yesterday to earn their spot in this round, but they had no trouble disposing of Seton Hall, so I don’t expect them to be sluggish tonight.

The Wildcats have won four of their last five games, and their only loss during that span was by two points to Georgetown. Considering they beat the Huskies by two on their home floor, then lost by seven in Storrs, I think it’s fair to assume they will land somewhere between those finals on a neutral floor tonight.

The key will be the Wildcats’ offense keeping up with the Huskies. The Huskies are averaging 78 points per game, while the Wildcats are averaging 73.9. But both meetings between these two have been low scoring. If that’s the case tonight, then the Wildcats, who are allowing just 67.3 points per game, have the advantage and should have no issues covering.

📊 Best odds: -110 via BetMGM (bet $10 to win $9.09)

🔥 Eric Dixon Over 21.5 points ⭐⭐⭐⭐

There’s no reason to get cute with the best prop bet for this game. Dixon is the nation’s leading scorer, averaging 23.5 points per game. He already has one 23-point game against the Huskies this season, and while he didn’t perform as well on the road against UConn, he still managed 17. 

Dixon has scored at least 23 points in four of his last five games, and he topped 30 in two of those contests. And while he only scored 19 points in yesterday’s win over Seton Hall, he also played just 28 minutes, his second-lowest total of the season.

Despite this being the second game of a back-to-back, Dixon will be fresh after he got to sit a good portion of yesterday’s blowout win. His 28.6% field-goal percentage in yesterday’s game is worrying, but I expect all of his tournament jitters to be gone, as the 46.1% shooter gets back on track tonight.

📊 Best odds: -118 via BetMGM (bet $10 to win $8.47)

🎯 Expert Villanova vs. UConn score prediction

🔮 Expert score prediction: UConn 69, Villanova 66

The Wildcats haven’t had a great season, but they haven’t been blown out much either. Only five of their losses were by 10 or more points, and they didn’t lose a single game by more than 13. So while the Huskies can blow opponents out, I would be shocked if this isn’t another close meeting between these two this season.

Both teams are averaging more than 73 points per game, yet the defenses have been on display in the previous two meetings. Neither team has scored 70 points in either game they’ve played this season, and I don’t expect that to change tonight. Take the Huskies in a close one. 

📊 Best odds: +14000 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $1,400)

📊 Live Villanova vs. UConn odds & latest betting splits

Here are the latest odds for Villanova vs. UConn, which update live in real time. You can also check out our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool for the latest college basketball odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your region.

🔢 Villanova vs. UConn opening odds

Here's a look at the opening odds for Villanova vs. UConn according to BetMGM.

• Spread: Villanova +5.5 (-105) | UConn -5.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: Villanova +195 | UConn -235
• Over/Under: Over 135.5 (-110) | Under 135.5 (-110)

🏆 Who will win Villanova vs. UConn?

As of Thursday morning, UConn is favored by 6.5 points to beat Villanova with moneyline odds of -275 at BetMGM, which suggests a 73.34% win probability for the Huskies. We're predicting a 69-66 win for UConn as our final score projection.

So far, bettors on split on both the spread and total, telling us we could be in for a tightly contested affair on Thursday night.

📺 How to watch Villanova vs. UConn tonight

📅 Date: Thursday, March 13
🕗 Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
📺 TV: FS1
💻 Streaming: Fox Sports

❓ Villanova vs. UConn FAQs

Who's favored to win the Big East tournament?

The St. John’s Red Storm are favored to win the Big East tournament.

Who is favored to win Villanova vs. UConn?

The Huskies have moneyline odds of -275, implying they have a greater than 73% chance of winning.

What are the betting odds for Villanova vs. UConn?

The latest spread is Villanova +6.5 (-110) | UConn -6.5 (-110), with a total of 135.5 points (-110).

What will be the final score of Villanova vs. UConn?

We're predicting a final score of UConn 69, Villanova 66 entering tonight's matchup at Madison Square Garden.

What time is Villanova vs. UConn tonight?

Villanova vs. UConn will tip off tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET

⛹️ Best college basketball betting sites

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