The Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers face an intriguing test in the opener of the 2021-22 college basketball season. Mount St. Mary's visits the highly-ranked Villanova Wildcats in the season opener for both sides, with Jay Wright's team returning a loaded group this season. Villanova was 18-7 last season on the way to a Sweet 16 appearance. Mount St. Mary's posted a 12-11 mark during the 2021-22 campaign and a 1-4 nonconference record.
Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET at Finneran Pavilion. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Wildcats as 24.5-point favorites in the latest Villanova vs. Mount St. Mary's odds, while the over-under for total points is set at 132. Before making any Mount St. Mary's vs. Villanova picks, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Villanova vs. Mount St. Mary's and just revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Mount St. Mary's vs. Villanova:
- Villanova vs. Mount St. Mary's spread: Villanova -24.5
- Villanova vs. Mount St. Mary's over-under: 132 points
- NOVA: The Wildcats were 13-11-1 against the spread last season
- MSM: The Mountaineers were 11-11 against the spread in 2020-21
Why Villanova can cover
Villanova is a fantastic team, bringing back a great deal of production from an elite offensive unit in 2020-21. Beyond the team aspect, however, the Wildcats have some of the best returning pieces in college basketball. Because of the extra year granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-21 Big East Player of the Year Collin Gillespie returns for one last ride. Gillespie averaged 14.0 points and 4.6 assists per game last season, and he is a four-year contributor with a career 37.3 percent mark from 3-point range.
Jermaine Samuels also returns with off-the-charts experience as a three-year starter, and he averaged 12.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season. Finally, junior combo guard Justin Moore provides another steady hand in the backcourt for a Villanova team that is loaded on the perimeter. Moore averaged 12.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game a season ago, and he pairs beautifully with Gillespie to put pressure on the opposition.
Why Mount St. Mary's can cover
The Mountaineers are potent, particularly on the defensive end, and shouldn't be taken lightly. UAB transfer Jalen Benjamin arrives to captain the offense this season, with redshirt senior forward Nana Opoku serving as the returning leader in scoring with 10.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last season. Mount St. Mary's plays with a slow tempo, but the Mountaineers have good size for a mid-major squad.
Last season, Mount St. Mary's led the NEC in defensive efficiency, and the Mountaineers ranked in the top 10 nationally in opponent shooting efficiency. The Mountaineers also posted an 11.2 percent block rate, strongly above the national average, and Mount St. Mary's controlled the defensive glass in securing 75.2 percent of available rebounds. Finally, Mount St. Mary's was a top-35 team in the country in free-throw prevention.
How to make Mount St. Mary's vs. Villanova picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, suggesting the teams combine for 137 points. It also says one side of the spread is hitting well over 50 percent of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Villanova vs. Mount St. Mary's? And which side of the spread cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up $2,200 on its top-rated college basketball spread picks over the last five years, and find out.