Villanova vs. Butler: 2019-20 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

A top-20 tilt in the Big East Conference will take place on Wednesday evening when Villanova makes the trip to Indianapolis to square off with Butler.

TV schedule: Wednesday, February 5, 6:30 pm ET. FS1.
Arena: Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.

Hinkle Fieldhouse will undoubtedly prove boisterous and frenetic this Wednesday night, as Butler welcomes Villanova to town in an exciting and pivotal Big East Conference clash. Both squads are coming off of disappointing home setbacks this past weekend, with the No. 19 Bulldogs (17-5, 5-4) losing to Providence, and the No. 10 Wildcats (17-4, 7-2) falling to Creighton.

This tantalizing duel is extremely important to each team, as it pertains to the upcoming March Madness and the Big East regular-stanza race. At this juncture, Villanova is one affair behind the league leader, Seton Hall, while Butler trails the Pirates by a trio of contests.

Currently at No. 12 in the NCAA NET system, the Bulldogs are projected as a No. 4 seed in the 2020 Big Dance. The Wildcats, at No. 13 in the NET, are presently forecast as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

As far as resumes go, Butler owns a long list of solid successes, including against units such as Missouri, Minnesota, Stanford, Ole Miss, Florida, Purdue, St. John’s, Creighton, Providence, Marquette and Georgetown. Conversely, the Bulldogs have gotten beat by Baylor, now the nation’s top-ranked crew, Seton Hall, DePaul, Villanova and the aforementioned Friars.

Villanova’s achievements have occurred versus the likes of Kansas, Xavier, Mississippi State, Georgetown, DePaul, Connecticut, Butler, Providence, St. John’s and Creighton. On the flip side, the Wildcats have succumbed to Baylor, Ohio State, Marquette and the Bluejays.

When Butler and Villanova collide, it will pit a stellar defense against a pretty good offense. To date in the 2019-20 campaign, the Bulldogs boast one of the premier defenses in collegiate hoops, as they allow just 59.9 points every 40 minutes.

The Wildcats, on the other hand, are credible on offense, averaging 73.9 points a game while connecting on 44.1 percent from the field, an impressive 78.1 percent from the charity stripe and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc.

In other statistical departments, this pair of groups is fairly even in rebounding, assists, blocks, steals and turnovers committed. Second-chance opportunities via the offensive glass, as well as transition buckets arriving due to forced mistakes, will prove critical.

According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, Butler possesses a 66.8 percent chance to prevail over Villanova. The Wildcats won the first match-up, 76-61 in January, and I believe that the Bulldogs will capture the follow-up encounter.

Prediction: Butler 67 – Villanova 64