Updated Villanova vs. Delaware Odds, Spread, Pick & Predictions for 2022 NCAA Tournament

by BettingPros Staff |
Mar 14, 2022

Villanova Wildcats vs. Delaware Blue Hens 2022 NCAA Tournament Game Preview

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Villanova Wildcats vs. Delaware Blue Hens Match Up Overview

	Delaware	Villanova
Conference	CAA	Big East
W-L	22-12	26-7
AdjEM	145th	11th
AdjO	100th	8th
AdjD	211st	28th
Tempo	200th	345th
eFG%	36th	93rd
TO%	179th	30th
OR%	219th	84th
FTR	63rd	167th
DeFG%	141st	64th
DTO%	163rd	148th
DR%	297th	172nd
DFTR	157th	52nd
Luck	129th	71st

Stats via KenPom.

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Villanova Wildcats Preview

After not snagging a 1 seed, it almost seems like another down year for Jay Wright and his perenially strong Wildcats. But this is still a dangerous squad that has played the 12th-toughest schedule.

This team is full of experienced leaders capable of handling whatever madness comes their way. Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels, and Justin Moore are all upperclassmen who can influence any game.

The thing about Villanova is that you never know what team will show up. In the consistency metric, they rank 351st in the nation. We've seen them lose to Creighton by 20 and score only 36 points against Baylor, but weâ€™ve also seen them crush Tennessee and turn around and beat Creighton 75-41 in their second matchup.

Who knows which team will show up in March? Maybe the better version of Villanova can string six games together to take down the championship in April. This squad can take over from deep and is the best free-throw-shooting team in the nation. They are incredibly poised and well-coached. But they are also very much at risk of having an off night, as weâ€™ve seen on several occasions this season.

Delaware Blue Hens Preview

After finishing fourth in the CAA, the Blue Hens of Delaware took down the Colonial tournament to earn an auto-bid to the tournament. After finishing the regular season 0-3, it was impressive to see Delaware bounce back, especially in their dominating win over Towson.

The Blue Hens don't exactly have any athletic playmakers, but they share the ball well. Jameer Nelson, Ryan Allen, and Dylan Painter are all high-usage guys who shoot well inside the arc.

Their 100th-ranked offense isn't the easiest to stop, but this team won't surprise you with any electric shooting or by consistently finding open shots. Martin Ingelsby's team has done well when not playing at home, ranking 29th in the away-from-home metric. Despite this, I am not all that confident this team can run with the best of them. It would be a shock to see Delaware upset any team in the first round.

Rapid Prediction for Villanova Wildcats vs. Delaware Blue Hens

The Delaware Blue Hens got an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament by winning the CAA. The Blue Hens had a great offensive season, but the defense struggled, especially when defending the three. Delaware allowed teams to shoot just under 35% from downtown and struggled on the glass, allowing opponents to grab offensive rebounds at a rate of 31.2%. While the Delaware offense has been good, it won't be good enough against Villanova. The Wildcats have limited teams to 31% from three and 48.2% from inside the arc this season. On the offensive end, Big East teams struggled to stop Villanova. Delaware will have an even harder time against the defending Big East champions.

Villanova Wildcats vs. Delaware Blue Hens Round 1 Game Pick

Villanova -17

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