Who’s Playing
Villanova Wildcats @ Butler Bulldogs
Current Records: Villanova 8-5, Butler 7-6
How To Watch
- When: Wednesday, January 1, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse — Indianapolis, Indiana
- TV: Fox Sports 1
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $10.45
What to Know
After both having extra time off, the Villanova Wildcats and the Butler Bulldogs will dust off their jerseys to challenge one another at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Despite being away, the Wildcats are looking at a 2.5-point advantage in the spread.
Villanova is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Creighton just ended the team’s five-game winning streak last Saturday. They took an 86-79 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bluejays.
Despite their loss, Villanova saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Eric Dixon, who went 10 for 17 en route to 27 points, was perhaps the best of all. The game was Dixon’s fifth in a row with at least 22.4 points. Another player making a difference was Wooga Poplar, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and ten rebounds.
Villanova struggled to work together and finished the game with only eight assists. They were dismantled by their opponents in that department as Creighton racked up 22.
Meanwhile, Butler’s recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Saturday after their fifth straight defeat. They fell to UConn 78-74.
Like Villanova, Butler lost despite seeing results from several players. Andre Screen led the charge by dropping a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds. Screen is also on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he’s now posted three or more in the last three games he’s played. Patrick McCaffery was another key player, earning 17 points.
Villanova’s loss dropped their record down to 8-5. As for Butler, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-6.
Wednesday’s match is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Villanova has been dynamite from deep this season, having drained 40.6% of their threes per game. However, it’s not like Butler struggles in that department as they’ve made 39.1% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Villanova beat Butler 72-62 in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Villanova since the squad won’t have the home-court advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Odds
Villanova is a slight 2.5-point favorite against Butler, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Wildcats as a 1.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 146 points.
See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Villanova has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Butler.
- Feb 20, 2024 – Villanova 72 vs. Butler 62
- Jan 27, 2024 – Butler 88 vs. Villanova 81
- Feb 14, 2023 – Villanova 62 vs. Butler 50
- Jan 13, 2023 – Butler 79 vs. Villanova 71
- Mar 05, 2022 – Villanova 78 vs. Butler 59
- Jan 16, 2022 – Villanova 82 vs. Butler 42
- Feb 28, 2021 – Butler 73 vs. Villanova 61
- Dec 16, 2020 – Villanova 85 vs. Butler 66
- Feb 05, 2020 – Butler 79 vs. Villanova 76
- Jan 21, 2020 – Villanova 76 vs. Butler 61
