Jay Wright did not want to coach vs. the College Basketball odds where big donor programs were able to buy players and championships. Thus, Wright left behind a program that can no longer keep up with the best in the sport. Villanova is a mediocre program that can no longer keep up with the Joneses. Since the retirement of Wright, the Wildcats have continued to tread water. Wright is the undisputed GOAT of Villanova coaches. But he decided to retire as the sport changed dramatically. Wright hated the transfer portal and NIL.
2025 College Basketball Crown: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Villanova Wildcats
| Date and Time: | Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 8:30 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV |
| TV Coverage: | FS1 |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | +3 -108 | 141 -115 | +135 |  |
| Villanova | -3 -112 | 141 -105 | -155 | |
| ||||
Colorado Buffaloes Team Overview
Colorado has covered five of its previous seven games and has gone under the online wagering total in four of its last six outings. Julian Hammond is first among Colorado scorers with 12.5 points per game.
The Colorado Buffaloes are 14-20 straight up, 14-17 against the spread, and 13-17 over/under the total. Colorado has national metrics of 282nd for scoring offense, 175th for field goal percentage, 293rd for 3-point field goal percentage, 78th for free throw percentage, and 172nd for offensive rebounding. Defensively, Colorado is 182nd for scoring defense, 126th for field goal percentage permitted, 210th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 77th for defensive rebounding.
Villanova Wildcats Team Overview
Late on, Villanova has covered four of its previous six games and has gone under the college basketball odds total in three of its last five outings. First among Villanova scorers is Eric Dixon, with 23.0 points per game.
Overall, the Villanova Wildcats are 19-13 straight up, 16-15 against the spread, and 19-12 over/under the total. Villanova has national metrics of 173rd for scoring offense, 86th for field goal percentage, 2nd for 3-point field goal percentage, 2nd for free throw percentage, and 261st for offensive rebounding. Defensively, Villanova is 58th for scoring defense, 118th for field goal percentage permitted, 256th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 13th for defensive rebounding.
Alex Karaban scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half. And he hit two clutch 3-pointers in the final six-plus minutes as third-seeded UConn pulled away for a 73-56 victory over sixth-seeded Villanova in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. Also, Liam McNeeley added 12 points for two-time defending champion UConn, which ended on a 22-5 run over the final 7:31. Samson Johnson and Solo Ball contributed 11 points apiece as the Huskies shot 65 percent in the second half and 57.8 percent overall.
Villanova’s Wooga Poplar tied a career-high with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting but missed his final three shots. In sum, the Wildcats shot just 20.8 percent (5-of-24) in the second half and 31.9 percent overall. Jordan Longino added 10 points. But Eric Dixon, who was averaging 23.5 points per game, shot just 2-of-15 and was held to eight points. The Wildcats went 1-for-10 in the final 7:58.
Karaban made 5-of-9 shots and hit four 3-pointers after making 12 of 26 shots from deep in the final five regular-season games. In turn, Villanova ripped off 10 straight points and took a 17-8 lead on a trey by Poplar with about 11 1/2 minutes left.
Colorado vs. Villanova SBG Free Picks
As was previously noted, Colorado was a terrible team this season.
Colorado vs. Villanova SBG Best Bet: Villanova Wildcats.