The Villanova Wildcats (15-4) take on the No. 2 UConn Huskies (18-1) in Hartford, Connecticut. Tip-off is set for 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
UConn is favored by 10 points on the spread with a moneyline of -550. The total is set at 135.5 points.
Here’s my Villanova vs. UConn prediction and college basketball picks for January 24, 2026.
Villanova vs UConn Prediction, Pick
My Pick: Under 135.5
My Villanova vs UConn best bet is on the total to go under. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Villanova vs. UConn Odds, Betting Lines, Total
| Villanova Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10 -110 | 135.5 -110o / -110u | +400 |
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10 -110 | 135.5 -110o / -110u | -550 |
- Villanova vs UConn spread: UConn -10
- Villanova vs UConn over/under: 135.5 points
- Villanova vs UConn moneyline: Villanova +400, UConn -550
Villanova vs UConn College Basketball Game Today
Villanova Wildcats Betting Preview
When Kevin Willard stepped into the head coaching role at Villanova, expectations were reasonable. He followed Kyle Neptune, who had the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of two-time national champion Jay Wright.
Neptune steered the program towards the abyss, failing to make the NCAA Tournament in three seasons. Villanova fans dreamed of returning to the top of the Big East and to Final Fours, but would gladly take some competence and a turn in the right direction.
Willard was the man for that job and has done just that so far this season. The Wildcats have lost to the three best teams they've played, by KenPom rating, and four of the six best on their schedule.
Villanova only has two wins against teams projected into the NCAA Tournament field, projected 10-seed Seton Hall and nine-seed Wisconsin. Those are not exactly signature wins.
On the other hand, Villanova does not have a bad loss. A home defeat to bubbly Creighton is not ideal, yet its far from a black mark on the 'Cats resume.
What's keeping the Wildcats from reaching a higher ceiling? It's hard to say. Villanova doesn't do anything at an elite level, instead being very solid on both ends of the floor.
The biggest issue, and maybe something that's keeping the ceiling out of reach, is a lack of depth. Villanova ranks 292nd in bench minutes, a number that will continue to drop with bench contributors not available. Chris Jeffrey is injured and Tafara Gapare left the program.
In Villanova's last outing, the Cats led Georgetown by 24 and still only played eight guys. Willard really only comfortably goes seven deep, with no trusted option in the frontcourt off the bench.
When Duke Brennan sits, Villanova goes small and manages as best it can.
UConn Huskies Betting Preview
The Danny Hurley machine is running at full capacity this season. UConn has just one loss, back on November 19. That loss came at the hands of top-ranked, undefeated Arizona.
These Huskies are mowing teams down, winning their first eight games in Big East play, largely thanks to a dominant defense. UConn's opponents are shooting just 40.2% from the field in conference play and a measly 28.1% from outside the arc.
The result is just 65.3 points per game or 94.9 points per 100 possessions, the only team in the conference allowing under 100 points per 100.
With a defense that strong, the offense does not need to do the heavy lifting, but as with every Hurley team, these Huskies are incredibly sharp on that end of the floor.
That has been especially true since freshman Braylon Mullins made his debut after starting the year sidelined due to injury. In his first nine games, Mullins played 22.2 minutes per game, posting 9.9 points and 34% outside shooting.
In his last four, he's playing 34 minutes per game and producing 15.5 points on 41% outside shooting.
Having him on the floor as a shooter and creator opens up then UConn offense. Silas Demary Jr. has more room to slash. Alex Karaban and Solo Ball are finding more open looks. Tarris Reed Jr. has room to operate on the block.
In the nine games Mullins has started, UConn has toped 1.05 points per possession nine times and 1.1 points per possession five times.
How To Make Villanova vs. UConn Picks
There's some interesting trends in this rivalry, a sneaky entrant into the list of the best rivalries in college hoops this century.
Hurley is only 4-7-2 against Nova as the head coach at UConn, after starting 1-4-2 in his first seven games. He lost five of the first six of those games, but has now won six of the last seven. It's safe to say he was happy to see Wright hang up the clipboard.
More interestingly, both of these teams are among the slowest in the Big East, ranking ninth and 10th in tempo in the 11-team conference. Both rank outside the top 300 in tempo nationally. That's been the case for a few years. Hurley's always preached patience offensively, as has Willard, Neptune and Wright.
In Hurley's 13 meetings with Villanova, the average score is just 132.7 points, with the under hitting 10 times. Nine of those games went under 135.5, the total for this matchup.
Additionally, our Action PRO projections make this total at 131.7, giving us a nice grade of B on the Under.
With both teams looking to grind out a conference win, that's likely to happen again.
My Pick: Under 135.5
