Villanova Wildcats vs. George Mason Patriots

Betting Odds

Point Spread: George Mason(-1)
Game Total Line: (135.5)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

The East Region opens up action on Friday with a matchup between the No.8 seed Villanova Wildcats and the No.9 seed George Mason Patriots in the second round this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Tip-off from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland is set for 2:10 p.m. and the game will be broadcast nationally on TNT.

Oh how the mighty have fallen could be the story-line for Villanova over the last half of the season after the Wildcats finished the year with six losses in their last eight games. To make matters worse, they fell to the 10th seed in the Big East Tournament and bowed-out in the first round with a 70-69 loss to South Florida as a 9 ½-point favorite. Villanova comes into this game with an overall record of 21-11 straight-up, but is just 11-17-1 against the spread. It finished the year with a 9-9 SU record in conference play.

Much of the recent problem with the Wildcats has been their inability to consistently shoot the ball. Senior guard Corey Fisher, who is the team’s leading scorer with an average of 15.4 points a game, has really struggled down the stretch as have sophomore guard Maalk Wayns, who is averaging 14 points a game and senior guard Corey Stokes, who is averaging 15 points.

Villanova is shooting 44 percent from the field on the year, but has shot well under that over the last nine games. The Wildcats have scored more than their season average of 73 points a game just once in their last eight games.

George Mason was the regular season champion of the Colonial Athletic Association with a conference record of 16-2 SU, but fell to VCU 79-63 as a five-point favorite in the semifinals of the conference tournament. The loss to the Rams was the Patriots first in their last 17 games and they finished 26-6 SU overall and 22-8 ATS.

Senior guard Cam Long leads a trio of players scoring in double-figures with an average of 15.3 points a game. Junior forward Ryan Pearson is averaging 14.4 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds while sophomore forward Luke Hancock is adding 10.7 points and 4.2 assists a game.

The Patriots are scoring an average of 73 points a game and pulling down 35 rebounds a game. They are shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three-point range. The only area where they have struggled a bit is from the foul-line; converting on less than 70 percent of their attempts.

Villanova is 0-5 ATS in its last five games on the road and 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in four of its last six games.

George Mason is 3-1 ATS in its last four road games and 7-3 SU in its last 10 games overall. The total has stayed ‘under’ in three of its last four games.

Against the Spread Game Pick

These two teams last played one another in 2009 with the Wildcats coming away with a 69-68 win as a 15-point home favorite. This time around they are a one-point underdog and for good cause. There is still a wealth of talent on this Villanova team, but after its second-half meltdown against South Florida you have to believe the Wildcats’ confidence is completely shot. Bank on the Patriots taking full advantage of this situation with a surprisingly easy win in this game.
Take the Patriots -1 at Beted where you can bet using your checking account!