Villanova vs UCLA Odds, Lines and Spread (Nov. 12)

• The Villanova Wildcats aim to overcome last season’s road woes as they visit the UCLA Bruins on Friday as betting underdogs
• Villanova opened their schedule with a 91-51 home win over Mount St. Mary’s, while UCLA returns to action on the heels of a 95-58 rout of CSU Bakersfield
• Read on for all the odds and trends ahead of this clash of national championship contenders at Pauley Pavilion

The Villanova Wildcats (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) hit the road for the first time this when they visit the UCLA Bruins (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) on Friday night as four-point road underdogs. Tip off is set for 11:30 pm ET on the Bruins’ home hardwood at Pauley Pavilion.

Villanova Wildcats vs UCLA Bruins Odds

Odds at Barstool Sportsbook as of November 11, 2021.

Wildcats vs Bruins Betting Trends

Friday night’s matchup marks the first meeting between these two programs since November 2010. The Wildcats have dominated in rare clashes with UCLA, claiming the SU win in each of their past three matchups, all on home court, and covering in the past two.

However, it has been a different story when Villanova has visited the Bruins, with UCLA earning the SU win in two all-time home dates with the Wildcats, capped by a decisive 93-65 victory as 7.5-point chalk way back in January 2001.

Both these teams return to action amid high expectations after enjoying solid 2020/2021 campaigns. The Wildcats racked up an 18-7 SU record on their way to a berth in the Sweet Sixteen at last season’s NCAA Tournament. That included a 5-2 SU marked against nationally ranked opponents, and opened their season pegged at No. 4 on the AP Top 25 preseason rankings.

However, Villanova produced mixed results at the sportsbooks during the second half of last season, going 9-9 ATS in their final 18 contests. The Bruins are coming of their second trip to the Final Four since 2018, and opened the season at No. 2 on the Top 25. And after producing a middling 10-13 ATS record during the regular season, they found a high gear at March Madness, tallying six straight ATS wins.

Villanova Wildcats Outlook

The Wildcats opened their schedule in dominating fashion on Tuesday night, marching to a crushing 91-51 rout of Mount St. Mary’s while covering as mammoth 26-point chalk. The challenge now for Nova will be to overcome their dismal performance on the road to close out last season, which they wrapped up with four straight SU and ATS losses, all as betting favorites.

However, in addition to the vote of confidence they have received on the national rankings, the Wildcats also open their season in high regard in the Kenpom ratings, where they are pegged at No. 5 in adjusted offence and No. 8 overall.

Collin Gillespie, Justin Moore and Jermaine Samuels combined for 37 of Villanova’s 45 first half points vs. Mount St. Mary’s.

Is there a better trio in college hoops?

— David Cobb (@DavidWCobb) November 9, 2021

Villanova is certain to feel the loss of Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who entered the NBA Draft following a breakthrough sophomore campaign. However, they should get a considerable lift from the return of Big east Player of the year candidate Collin Gillespie, who made his first appearance with the club in this week’s win over Mount St. Mary’s after missing substantial time to injury last season.

With confidence high, the Wildcats have staked their claim as a strong +1400 bet in the national championship odds, and have opened the season as massive -155 favorites to win the Big East conference title.

UCLA Bruins Outlook

The Bruins also opened their schedule in championship form, blowing out the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners by a 95-58 score on Tuesday night, and rewarding sports bettors as 23-point favorites.

However, the victory came at a severe cost to UCLA, with starter Cody Riley going down with a knee sprain that is expected to keep him out of action in Friday’s contest. The senior guard has been a steady presence at UCLA over the past three seasons, and was a key contributor last season, racking up 10m points and 5.4 rebounds per game, and contributing a pair of double-doubles at the NCAA Tournament.

.@CoachMickCronin gets real about the Cody Riley injury scare. pic.twitter.com/TTcj3ZKZiv

— Jim Rome (@jimrome) November 10, 2021

However, there is no shortage of talent on a balanced Bruins lineup that is pegged at No. 8 and No. 10 in adjusted offense and adjusted defence at Kenpom. This reflected in the national championship odds, where they trail only Gonzaga and Michigan as a +1300 bet, and as clear +115 favorites to win the Pac-12 title in the college basketball conference odds.

The Pick: Wildcats +4 (-107)