The fifth-seeded Villanova Wildcats square off with the No. 13 seed North Texas Mean Green in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament on Sunday in Indianapolis. The Wildcats (17-6) have alternated national championships (2016, 2018) with second-round ousters in their last four NCAA appearances and have lost in the Round of 32 in five of their last nine trips to the Big Dance. North Texas (18-9) earned its first victory in the NCAA Tournament with a major upset, squeezing out a 78-69 victory over fourth-seeded Purdue in overtime.
Tip-off is at 8:45 p.m. ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse with a berth in the Sweet 16 on the line. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Wildcats as a six-point favorite, while the over-under for total points scored is 126 in the latest Villanova vs. North Texas odds. Before making any North Texas vs. Villanova picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned almost $500 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Villanova vs. North Texas in the NCAA Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for North Texas vs. Villanova:
- Villanova vs. North Texas spread: Villanova -6
- Villanova vs. North Texas over-under: 126 points
- Villanova vs. North Texas money line: Villanova -280, North Texas +230
- VIL: Wildcats are 6-1 as a favorite in road or neutral-site games
- UNT: Mean Green are 9-2 against the spread in their last 11 games
Why Villanova can cover
The knee injury that ended point guard Collin Gillespie’s season put more of an offensive burden on leading scorer and rebounder Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, but he showed he was up to the task against Winthrop. Robinson scored 22 rebounds and pulled down 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double over the past seven games. The co-Big East Player of the Year also matched his career best with three blocked shots and had a season high-tying six assists.
Sophomore guard Justin Moore suffered a severe ankle sprain at Providence on March 6 that relegated him to reserve duty in the Big East Tournament loss to Georgetown. The team’s third-leading scorer at 12.7 points per game, Moore scored 15 points Friday and took on added ball-handling responsibilities with Gillespie out. Senior forward Jermaine Samuels is averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 boards over the past three games.
Why North Texas can cover
The Mean Green feature an experienced lineup with four seniors averaging in double-figures, led by guard Javion Hamlet at 15.3 points per game. Hamlet topped the team in scoring in eight consecutive games and again led the way in the upset of Purdue. He registered a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds and is averaging 19.6 points in five postseason contests, more than five points more than in the regular season.
Forward Thomas Bell and guard James Reese each bounced back from a pair of subpar shooting performances to score 16 and 13 points, respectively, in the NCAA opener. Junior Mardrez McBride averaged only 6.7 points in the regular season but has scored in double-figures in four straight, knocking down 14 of 25 three-point attempts during that span. North Texas has covered the spread in five straight games.
How to make North Texas vs. Villanova picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 141 points. It also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins North Texas vs. Villanova? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.