Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
TV Schedule: Saturday, Dec. 19, 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Arena: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
Line: Virginia (-4.5)
Since their shock defeat at the hands of the George Washington Colonials, the No. 8 Virginia Cavaliers have won seven straight games, including their most recent game against the then No. 14 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers. West Virginia, who are averaging over 85 points per game on the season, only scored 54 on this elite Cavaliers’ defense.
Virginia has no time to rest, however, as they face the No. 12 Villanova Wildcats on Saturday afternoon.
The Wildcats’ lone loss was a 78-55 blowout at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners, but Villanova has since rebounded with a dominating performance over the La Salle Explorers. Jay Wright and his squad will feel extremely confident that they are one of the best teams in the country and will relish in the opportunity to prove that on Saturday.
With two top ten defenses, this should be one of the best basketball games of the day. The Cavaliers are favored, but in a game that should be “first to 60 wins” anything can happen. Offensively, Malcolm Brogdon has been absolutely fantastic for Virginia, as has Josh Hart for Villanova. This game will come down to the play of both teams’ extremely deep benches, as points should be hard to come by for both teams.
This is a potential preview of two Final Four teams, and I would not be surprised if the Wildcats pulled off the upset. That being said, the Cavaliers should pull out the victory at home in a tight one.
Prediction: Virginia 62, Villanova 58
Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
