The Pitt Panthers take on the Villanova Wildcats in Villanova, PA. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
Villanova is favored by -9.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -550. The total is set at 136.5 points.
Here’s my Pitt vs. Villanova prediction and college basketball picks for December 13, 2025.
Pitt vs Villanova Prediction
My Pick: Villanova -12 or Better
My Pitt vs Villanova best bet is on the Wildcats to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Pitt vs. Villanova Odds
| Pitt Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -105 | 136.5 -110 / -110 | +410 |
| Villanova Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -115 | 136.5 -110 / -110 | -550 |
- Pitt vs Villanova spread: Villanova -9.5
- Pitt vs Villanova over/under: 136.5 points
- Pitt vs Villanova moneyline: Pitt +410, Villanova -550
Pitt vs Villanova College Basketball Betting Preview
Villanova and Pitt are the power players in the basketball landscape on each side of Pennsylvania. These days, these programs meet infrequently, with many fans pining for the days when these squads were cross-state and Big East rivals.
The Panthers and Wildcats haven't played since 2013, safely before Villanova's rise to national power. Pitt won the six most recent meetings, following a last-second Elite Eight loss to Scottie Reynolds in 2009.
The players in this game surely don't remember this history, but the fans in the stands sure do. This should be a raucous crowd on a chilly Saturday afternoon outside of Philadelphia.
Pitt Basketball
Unfortunately for Pitt fans, the Panthers renew this rivalry amidst a rough season. A buzzer-beating home win over Ohio State is Pitt's only win in its last five outings, including losses to Quinnipiac and Hofstra.
When looking for issues, blame has to start on the defensive end of the floor. Pitt's ability on that end has been lackluster, even against the lesser teams on the schedule.
There's no reason for an ACC team to allow Quinnipiac to score more than 1.3 points per possession, even on a night the Bobcats hit 11-of-17 from outside the arc.
Offensively, Pitt doesn't have the firepower to offset its defensive woes. The Panthers rely on two top scorers to lead the charge, senior big man Cameron Corhen and sophomore guard Brandin Cummings.
Cohren's been productive but unspectacular, while Cummings is a shoot-first creator who can be inefficient with the ball.
If Pitt can't right the ship this season, you'd think it's the last for head coach Jeff Capel. This is his eighth year with the Panthers and he has only one NCAA Tournament appearance to his name.
Villanova Basketball
Before Villanova visited highly-ranked Michigan earlier this week, there were hints of optimism that the Wildcats could compete with the Wolverines. They'd challenged BYU on a neutral court and dispatched a group of lesser opponents in blowout wins.
Best of all, the Wildcats had faced the nation's highest 3-point shooting percentage, a mark clearly set to regress.
Michigan only shot 27% from outside the arc…and still scored 53 first-half points and led Villanova by as many as 36 points in a romp.
That performance was as much about the dominant play of the Wolverines as it said anything about a young Villanova team. The Wildcats have their eye on a postseason berth in March, but they aren't on the level of the nation's top teams.
The Wildcats have a balanced offense, buoyed by a top-10 offensive rebounding rate. Duke Brennan is the nation's top rebounder and has earned himself and his teammates plenty of second looks. Defensively, Villanova has been anchored by that 3-point percentage, far outpacing the Wildcats' 3-point rate allowed.
It's not complete luck for a team to allow opponents to get enough open 3s to shoot over 44% from long range over an eight-game sample.
Villanova's Big East outlook will depend on its defense, whether those open shots were just an early-season fluke or a season-long issue.
Pitt vs. Villanova Betting Analysis
Villanova is rightfully favored by a healthy margin in this game. That spread asks an interesting question. The Wildcats haven't beaten a power-conference team yet this season. In this game, to bet their side, you'll need to envision them not only doing so, but taking care of business in a big way.
That's where I lean in this matchup. That stat is alarming on December 12, but it's more a product of some scheduling quirks than anything else. Villanova hasn't been toiling away at the cupcake factory, but facing a host of viable mid-major programs and local rivals.
In those games, Villanova hasn't skated by. The Wildcats are 7-0, with all seven wins by double-figures, against lower competition.
This Pitt team is playing like lower competition and should be among the bottom feeders in the ACC. If Villanova wants to be relevant this March, this is a game the Cats should win with ease.
I'll take Kevin Willard and crew to cover in front of a packed home crowd.
My Pick: Villanova -12 or Better
