Villanova vs Liberty Prediction - Basketball Picks 3/14/23

Liberty Flames (26-8) vs Villanova Wildcats (17-16)

Game Info: Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 9:00 pm (Liberty Arena)

Betting Odds: Liberty Flames -2 -- Over/Under: 138 Click Here for the Latest Odds

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The Villanova Wildcats and Liberty Flames face off on Tuesday in the NIT in a college basketball showdown at Liberty Arena. This is a key game for Liberty’s program as they have a home game against Villanova.

Liberty Betting Preview

Liberty comes into this game with a 26-8 record overall and they have gone 18-13 against the spread. Liberty was only a couple of points away from making the NCAA tournament. Liberty faced off against Kennesaw State in the Atlantic Sun Tournament and they were defeated 67-66. They were outscored 40-37 in the second half and that led to the one-point defeat. Liberty is averaging 75.2 points while their defense is giving up 60.6 points per game. Darius McGhee is a star and he’s currently averaging 22.5 points while shooting 44 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from behind the three-point line.

Villanova Betting Preview

On the other side of this matchup is Villanova who sits with a 17-16 record overall and they have gone 14-19 against the spread. Villanova got out to a slow start but they were playing better as the season went on. In the last game against Creighton, Villanova scored 74 points, but the defense gave up 87 points. Villanova was led by Eric Dixon who finished with 20 points and seven rebounds. Villanova is averaging 70.3 points while their defense is giving up 67.8 points per game. The offense is ranked 207th, but as the season has gone on, the offense has played better. Eric Dixon is averaging 15.5 points while shooting 49.9 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from behind the three point line.

Liberty vs Villanova Trends

Villanova is 4-0 against the spread in their last four games following a straight up loss. The over is 4-1 in the Flames last five games on Tuesday. The under is 6-0 in Villanova’s last six games following an against the spread loss. The over is 4-1 in Flames last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

Shane’s Free Pick

Villanova has been playing a little better as of late, but this is still a very tough matchup for them. Liberty will have the best player on the court in Darius McGhee who is averaging 22.5 points per game. Liberty is averaging 75.2 points and they are going to have no issue running up the score here. Villanova is going to have issues keeping up, and that is going to be the difference here. Back Liberty against the spread.