UConn Huskies vs Villanova Wildcats Prediction, 2/21/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UConn Huskies vs Villanova Wildcats

Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026

Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA

TV: ESPN+

The UConn Huskies (24-3) are en route to Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday where they will compete against the Villanova Wildcats (21-5).

The UConn Huskies played Creighton and went home with a loss by a final score of 91-84 in their last game. UConn finished the game with a 43.7% field goal percentage (31 out of 71) and knocked down 11 out of their 30 shots from beyond the arc. At the free throw line, the Huskies made 11 of 18 shots for a percentage of 61.1%. With regard to pulling down boards, they earned 33 with 7 of them being of the offensive sort. They also recorded 21 dimes for the game while creating 8 turnovers and getting 7 steals. In terms of defense, UConn allowed 49.1% from the field on 27 out of 55 shooting. Creighton distributed 10 assists and had 4 steals for this game. Moreover, Creighton totaled 38 rebounds (3 offensive, 35 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Creighton shot 84.4% when shooting free throws by knocking down 27 of 32 shots. They also made 10 out of their 21 tries from distance. In reference to fouls, the Huskies ended up with 21 and Creighton had 15 fouls.

Braylon Mullins is a guy who was a major factor for the matchup. He left the arena with 25 points on 9 out of 22 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 31 mins and also totaled 6 rebounds. He finished the contest at 40.9% from the floor but had no dimes when the game ended.

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UConn will enter this game with a mark of 24-3 on the season. They are giving up possession 10.8 times per contest and as a team are committing 18.5 fouls every game. As a unit, UConn is pulling in 36.4 boards per game and is sitting with 503 assists so far this year, which has them ranked 8th in college in terms of passing the ball. The Huskies are shooting 36.8% on shots from distance (235 of 639) and 69.8% from the free throw line. They average 79.4 points per game (108th in college hoops) while connecting on 48.8% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Huskies are forcing 12.3 turnovers per contest while drawing 17.6 personal fouls. They are surrendering 30.4% on 3-point attempts and they are ranked 21st in college hoops in PPG allowed (66.1). The Huskies defensively are allowing a FG percentage of 40.3% (592 of 1,469) and they concede 31.7 boards per game as a group. They are currently ranked 14th in college in giving up assists with 281 relinquished on the campaign.

When they last played, the Villanova Wildcats got the victory with a final of 92-89 against Xavier. The Wildcats were able to snag 23 defensive rebounds and 12 offensive boards for a total of 35 in the game. They also gave up possession 5 times, while recording 12 steals in this game. Xavier earned 17 fouls for the contest which got the Wildcats to the charity stripe for 22 shots. They were able to knock down 14 of the free throws for a percentage of 63.6%. When discussing three-point attempts, Villanova knocked down 12 of their 34 tries (35.3%). Overall, the Wildcats shot 33 for 75 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 44.0%. The Wildcats allowed Xavier to bury 34 out of 67 attempts from the field which had them at 50.7% for the game. They went 43.5% from 3-point land by connecting on 10 out of 23 and walked away from this one shooting 11 of 13 at the free throw line (84.6%). When discussing rebounding, Villanova permitted Xavier to grab 39 in total (8 offensive).

Acaden Lewis ended up being important for the Wildcats in the matchup. He earned 21 points in his 37 minutes of playing time and had 6 dimes in this game. He converted 9 of 18 in the game giving him a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and added 7 rebounds.

Villanova has a record of 21-5 this year. The Wildcats are committing 16.0 personal fouls every game and they connect on 68.9% from the charity stripe. They are getting an assist 15.5 times per contest (94th in college) and they are turning it over 10.0 times per contest. Villanova has accumulated 2,036 pts for the season (78.3 per contest) and they average 35.6 boards per game. As an offensive unit, the Wildcats are connecting on 45.9% from the floor, which is 145th in the nation.

The Villanova defense allows 33.9% on 3-point shots (193 of 569) and opponents are connecting on 70.1% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have allowed 13.3 assists and 34.3 boards on a nightly basis, which is 175th and 181st in those defensive categories. The Wildcats defensively are ranked 80th in D-1 in points given up per game with 69.9. They have forced 12.7 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 44.4% from the field (204th in D-1).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take UConn

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