Providence Friars vs Villanova Wildcats Prediction, 1/30/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Providence Friars vs Villanova Wildcats

Date: Friday, January 30, 2026

Location: Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, PA

TV: ESPN+

The Villanova Wildcats (15-5) will play the Providence Friars (9-12) at Finneran Pavilion on Friday.

The Providence Friars stepped onto the hardwood against Connecticut and ended up losing by a score of 87-81 in their last contest. Providence walked away from the game having earned a 48.1% field goal percentage (26 out of 54) and knocked down 5 of 14 shots from 3-point land. At the charity stripe, the Friars converted 24 of their 31 attempts for a percentage of 77.4%. In the matter of rebounding, they compiled a total of 32 with 8 of them being on the offensive end. They also dished out 10 dimes in the game while creating 9 turnovers and having 5 steals. In reference to the defense, Providence allowed the other team to go 44.6% from the floor on 29 out of 65 shooting. Connecticut distributed 23 dimes and had 8 steals in this contest. Additionally, Connecticut pulled down 33 boards (13 offensive, 20 defensive), but finished the game with no rejections. Connecticut walked away from this one shooting 64.3% from the free throw line by converting 18 of their 28 attempts. They also buried 11 of 24 tries from beyond the arc. In regard to fouls, the Friars left the arena with 24 and Connecticut had 20 fouls.

Jamier Jones is one guy who came through in this contest. He finished the contest at 63.6% from the floor and also totaled 4 assists. He played for 34 mins played and snagged 7 rebounds. He recorded 20 points on 7 of 11 shooting.

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Providence heads into this contest with a win-loss record of 9-12 for the season. They are losing possession via turnover 11.7 times per contest and as a unit they commit 19.4 fouls per contest. As a team, Providence is snagging 38.7 rebounds per contest and is sitting with 327 assists on the year, which ranks 99th in college hoops in terms of passing. The Friars are shooting 35.2% on shots from 3-point land (192 of 545) and 78.0% from the free throw line. They have an average of 88.8 points per outing (16th in the nation) while hitting 47.8% from the field.

When they are on the defensive end, the Friars are forcing 10.6 turnovers per contest while drawing 19.5 personal fouls. They currently rank 351st in D-1 in giving up assists with 360 conceded so far this year. The Friars are giving up a FG percentage of 44.2% (627 of 1,418) and they surrender 37.2 boards per contest as a team. They concede 37.7% on 3-point attempts and they are 359th in college hoops in points per game allowed (86.1).

When they last stepped on the court, the Villanova Wildcats took a defeat with a final score of 75-67 when they faced Connecticut. The Wildcats corralled 23 defensive rebounds and 15 offensive rebounds totaling 38 for this game. They gave up possession of the ball 10 times, while earning 4 steals for the game. Connecticut committed 17 personal fouls for this contest which took the Wildcats to the charity stripe for a total of 22 attempts. They were able to make 17 of those for a percentage of 77.3%. With respect to three-point shots, Villanova knocked down 10 of their 26 attempts (38.5%). In all, the Wildcats shot 20 out of 59 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 33.9%. The Wildcats permitted Connecticut to make 25 of 61 attempts from the field which had them sitting at 41.0% for the game. They went 36.4% from beyond the perimeter by shooting 8 of 22 and finished the contest at 17 out of 22 at the free throw line (77.3%). Concerning attacking the glass, Villanova permitted Connecticut to pull down 38 overall (14 on the offensive side).

Duke Brennan was important for the Wildcats in this contest. He made 4 of 6 in the game for a field goal rate of 66.7%, and had 14 rebounds. He racked up 16 points in his 40 mins of playing time, but finished this game without an assist.

Villanova has a mark of 15-5 on the year. When it comes to offensive execution, the Wildcats are shooting 46.0% from the floor, which is 145th in Division 1. Villanova has scored 1,548 pts on the campaign (77.4 per contest) and they pull in 35.7 boards per game. They are dishing out assists 14.9 times per game (139th in the nation) and they are giving up possession 10.4 times per contest. The Wildcats commit 16.2 fouls every game and they go 71.2% from the free throw line.

The Villanova defense gives up 34.8% on shots from behind the 3-point line (150 of 431) and opponents are making 67.8% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have relinquished 13.1 assists and 33.6 rebounds per game, which is ranked 161st and 125th in Division 1. The Wildcats on the defensive end are ranked 60th in college hoops in PPG allowed with 69.0. They are forcing 12.3 TO's every game and have let teams shoot 44.1% from the field (198th in college hoops).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Villanova

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