Villanova opens (-19) over Marquette - 1/13/16

[Dawson Rental]

That's how I see it as well.  After getting taken to the woodshed by SHU at home then beating Providence on the road, little would surprise me at this point.

The only thing that should surprise this year is consistency. 

[Galway Eagle]

The only thing that should surprise this year is consistency.

Isn't being consistently inconsistent a kind of consistency we shouldn't be surprised at?

[rocket surgeon]

  well i'm gonna have my court-stormin shoes on anyway...just in case

[GooooMarquette]

Anyone know what the spread was when we beat UConn in '06?

[muwarrior69]

Their guards will feast on our turnovers first half and Ochefu will finish the main course in the second. -19 is Vegas' way of showing some Marquette love.

[NickelDimer]

Nova to cover. This will be really ugly

[Galway Eagle]

Anyone know what the spread was when we beat UConn in '06?

You can find it all here. Looks like UConn by 10

http://www.covers.com/pageLoader/pageLoader.aspx?page=/data/ncb/results/2005-2006/boxscore730362.html

[brewcity77]

Only way I think we have a chance is if we get Ochefu in foul trouble. Even then, 'Nova can kill with the small ball. Strategically, I'd say attack the paint early and work on getting fouls on their bigs, and zone them pretty much the entire game. 'Nova is awesome at shooting twos, but not so great at shooting threes. Force them to shoot over the zone and keep them out of the lane and off the line.

This year is probably the best we've matched up with 'Nova since Jae and DJO graduated. I like our odds here a lot better than I do against Xavier. I think we cover and unless they get uncharacteristically hot from three give them a game. If we win one game this week, my guess is it will be tomorrow night.

[brandx]

19 is a lot, but we cannot defend the three and Nova will be able to shoot from outside at will. I think this is our last blowout loss of the season. Nova 86-59,

Interesting. Villanova is a worse three-point shooting team on the year than Marquette.

If Villanova shoot 31% or less from three (their average this year) - we cover easily. If they get hot from three, look out.

[avid1010]

spent a lot of time and $$$ betting for a few years in college...with some of the most highly regarded handicappers and with some pretty impressive technology and #'s....of which nothing was better than what vegas had.  the lines can move artificially...past what vegas would believe to be true, but the spread is a pretty fair reminder of where your team is.  the only guys i ever saw make real money betting were the ones who had, or handled, enough $$$ that they could move the line one way and bet big the other.  that said....i've seen a few games where a spread like this resulted in a win for the underdog. 

[MU82]

That is a TON of points. When is the last time we were an underdog by that much to anybody?

As many have said, Nova can turn a 3-point game into a 15-point game in the blink of an eye. But if we take care of the ball -- big freakin' "if" -- and shoot well, we could put a scare into them.

I do have a bad feeling we get taken behind the woodshed in this one. I'd be thrilled to be wrong!

[bilsu]

I have a bad feeling that we will have significant foul trouble in this game. I would never bet against MU, but I think Villanova easily beats the 19 point spread.

[Smokin' Jae]

The line has gone way down, seeing it at 16.5 now. Interestingly, that is about what it was last year for MU @ nova and we have a far better team and they have a far worse team this year. At 19 I would take the points but at 16.5 I would stay away altogether.

[real chili 83]

Interesting. Villanova is a worse three-point shooting team on the year than Marquette.

If Villanova shoot 31% or less from three (their average this year) - we cover easily. If they get hot from three, look out.

They made 17 threes in the BET against us last year.  We owe these guys.

[Jay Bee]

At 19, I'd be in.  Down too much now.

Taking Minnesota +8 at Neb and thinking about Iowa State -2.5 and K-State tonight.

Ugh, check that. Taking MN moneyline. +320. Leggo

[Dawson Rental]

Isn't being consistently inconsistent a kind of consistency we shouldn't be surprised at?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkoPq5AOCOA

[MU82]

Isn't being consistently inconsistent a kind of consistency we shouldn't be surprised at?

"Inconsistent" is one of the more misused sports cliches.

When most people say it, to them it's a synonym for "bad."

The fact is, many bad teams are incredibly consistent. We were quite consistent last year. Most of us knew how we would lose most games.

And then there's the classic: Regardless of ownership and management and players employed, has any organization in sports history been more consistent than the Cubs?

[GooooMarquette]

You can find it all here. Looks like UConn by 10

http://www.covers.com/pageLoader/pageLoader.aspx?page=/data/ncb/results/2005-2006/boxscore730362.html

So 10 point dogs that won by 16.  Beat the numbers by 26.  It happens.

[WarriorFan]

"Inconsistent" is one of the more misused sports cliches.

When most people say it, to them it's a synonym for "bad."

The fact is, many bad teams are incredibly consistent. We were quite consistent last year. Most of us knew how we would lose most games.

And then there's the classic: Regardless of ownership and management and players employed, has any organization in sports history been more consistent than the Cubs?

Yep, it means "Bad, with occasional stretches of not quite so bad".
Our team is not this.  Our team is full of potential, which may or may not be fulfilled on a given night.

[vogue65]

The line has gone way down, seeing it at 16.5 now. Interestingly, that is about what it was last year for MU @ nova and we have a far better team and they have a far worse team this year. At 19 I would take the points but at 16.5 I would stay away altogether.

Game on.  I wouldn't count on getting Nova into foul trouble in their gym.  It is like playing in a H.S. gym, might help with fewer turnovers because of depth of field  site lines. I think perception is a factor at Nova, it is a bandbox (6500 seats).   Downside is that they are a noisy bunch.       

[NavinRJohnson]

Turnovers and rebounds, two things MU has not been good at. Unless that somehow changes tonight, Gonna get wrecked in this one.

[chapman]

There will be no castrations tonight.  There won't be a win, either.

[Tugg Speedman]

What was the spread on the Providence game last week?

[KampusFoods]

What was the spread on the Providence game last week?

I took Prov -9.5 that morning

[MuMark]

Hope you didn't bet the house......

At 19, I'd be in.  Down too much now.

Taking Minnesota +8 at Neb and thinking about Iowa State -2.5 and K-State tonight.

Ugh, check that. Taking MN moneyline. +320. Leggo