Villanova vs. Butler Pick Center

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SPREAD

TOTAL

Villanova

+107

+1.5
(-105)

O 142.5
(-107)

Butler

-117

-1.5
(-105)

U 142.5
(-103)

NCAAB

FINAL (1/22/2019)

Jan 21, 2019Villanova will look to stay undefeated in the Big East when it travels to face Butler on Tuesday night.The No. 18-ranked Wildcats (14-4, 5-0 Big East) most recently ousted Xavier, 85-75, on Friday in Philadelphia.Senior forward Eric Paschall has averaged 20.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in the Wildcats' five conference games. Senior guard Phil Booth has averaged 24.0 points in the past four games overall.This duo has carried the Wildcats in what was believed to be a rebuilding season. They lost four players off last season's national championship team to the NBA -- guards Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo, along with forwards Mikal Bridges and Omari Spellman."I keep saying this, but we've got to get some other guys going or we're going to wear those two out," Villanova coach Jay Wright said of Paschall and Booth. "We gave them two days off last week because we're playing them 38 or 39 minutes a game." Collin Gillespie came up with 18 points while Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree added 11 points and six rebounds to help contribute to the win over the Musketeers.Going on the road to play Butler has been a difficult task for Villanova in the past five years. The Wildcats won the first three games but dropped the last two. The largest margin of victory in all five meetings has been eight points."I think we realize how much better we have to get on the glass and defensively," Wright said. "We learned how to play a little bigger, which we may have to do against Butler. I also think every experience we have together is important. This group has not played together." Butler (12-7, 3-3) is coming off an 80-71 victory over St. John's on Saturday.Guard Kamar Baldwin scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Jordan Tucker came off the bench to score a career-best 24 points.That win came at a raucous, sold-out home arena at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs will be searching for a repeat performance against the visiting Wildcats."Our fans came out in some nasty weather and were great for us today," Butler coach LaVall Jordan told reporters."That's why you come to Butler -- for the opportunity to play on this stage in this place. We truly earned that win against a team with a lot of firepower. We have guys with bloody lips and bloody knees. I'm proud of the fight." Baldwin played 39 minutes, knocked down 10 of 18 shots from the field and 8 of 10 from the free throw line. Baldwin swept eight rebounds, while Sean McDermott managed to grab a career-high tying 12 rebounds.In six Big East games, Baldwin is averaging 22.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field.To take down the defending national champion Wildcats, the Bulldogs will need a complete team effort once again."To play a game like that on a stage like that, in this place, there's nothing like it," Jordan told reporters. "There's absolutely nothing like it. We talked about locking in to go 1-0. They played with an inspiration. It wasn't perfect by any means." --Field Level Media