Memphis vs Villanova Prediction & Picks: Tigers, Wildcats Tangle for Battle 4 Atlantis Title

After two exciting semifinal games yesterday in the Bahamas, Villanova and Memphis will meet in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis this afternoon (3:30 pm ET, ESPN).

In their semifinal showdown with North Carolina, Villanova emerged victorious in overtime, holding off the Tar Heels 83-81 behind Eric Dixon’s 34 points and 10 rebounds.

The Wildcats (5-1) are now set for a catfight with the Tigers (5-0), who rode David Jones’s 36 points to outlast Arkansas 84-79 in the first meeting between the formerly fierce rivals since 2003.

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The Tigers are off to an impressive start this season, winning at Missouri and defeating Michigan and Arkansas thus far in Nassau.

To take the Battle 4 Atlantis title home would not only add another notable win to their March Madness resume, but it would also give them a big boost ahead of a December that will see them face five Power 6 teams (at Ole Miss and Texas A&M and at home versus Clemson, Virginia, and Vanderbilt) and visit VCU.

But will they be able to tame the Wildcats at Imperial Arena? Villanova has bounced back well from last week’s loss to Penn, posting three straight wins over Power 6 competition.

Memphis vs Villanova Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada.

Spread

• Memphis +3.5 (-110)
• Villanova -3.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 145 (+100)
• Under 145 (-120)

Moneyline

• Memphis +140
• Villanova -165

Memphis vs Villanova Prediction and Picks

Prediction: Memphis to win

Picks: Memphis/Villanova over 145 (+100 at Bovada) & Memphis team total over 71.5 points (+100 at Bovada)

As notable as yesterday’s wins were for Memphis and Villanova, it must be noted that they both won without playing nearly their best.

Jones was 4 of 8 from three, 10 of 14 from the field overall, and 12 of 14 from the free-throw line, and he added four rebounds, two assists, and five steals.

Top Players for Memphis

• David Jones: 18.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.4 SPG
• Jaykwon Walton: 12.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.0 APG
• Jahvon Quinerly: 11.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.0 APG
• Caleb Mills: 8.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.8 APG

But outside of his monster effort, the rest of the team was only 16 of 39 (41.0%) overall from the field, including just 4 of 16 (25%) from three. Jahvon Quinerly, who went into the game shooting 41.2% from three and 52.9% from the field overall, was 0 of 6 from the field, including 0 of 5 from three.

For Villanova, Dixon was 11 of 19 from the field, including 3 of 5 from three, and made 9 of 11 from the charity stripe. But the rest of the team made only two threes in 17 attempts (11.8%) and connected only 12 of 41 shots (29.3%) overall from the field.

Top Players for Villanova

• Justin Moore: 16.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.3 APG
• Eric Dixon: 14.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG
• Tyler Burton: 9.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG
• TJ Bamba: 9.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.0 APG

But the Tigers still scored 84 points, and they were at 78 before nailing six free throws in the final half-minute. And Villanova was just a day removed from scoring 85 points against Texas Tech, who is statistically one of the better defensive teams in the country.

So, I feel like we are going to see both teams put in a better collective effort offensively in today’s championship contest.

Quinerly, for one, should bounce back from yesterday’s 0-fer. There might be a little extra motivation for him to do so, given that he started his collegiate career at Villanova, spending one season there before transferring to Alabama.

Who will emerge victorious? I like the potential of this Villanova team, but I really like what I have seen from Memphis thus far this season. They went into Missouri and won by 15, scored a solid win over Michigan, and knocked off a very good Arkansas team, all while breaking in a bunch of new players.

Next month will really tell the tale of whether the Tigers can keep things going and what they could be this season, but I expect them to go into that stretch with a perfect record, a number beside their name, and a trophy from the Bahamas.

Where to Bet on College Basketball

If you are looking for college basketball odds, you will always be spoiled for choice. Sports betting sites all over the internet offer a vast array of NCAA basketball odds throughout the season, from the opening tip in November to the conclusion of the season in early April.

Along with being able to bet on countless games, many online sportsbooks offer men’s college basketball national championship odds, women’s college basketball national championship odds, men’s Wooden Award odds, women’s Wooden Award odds, and odds on who will win early season and conference tournaments.

Below are some of the books that we highly recommend for college basketball betting:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Other College Basketball Content

• College Basketball Best Bets for November 24
• College Basketball Betting Guide
• Men’s Wooden Award Winner Odds
• Women’s Wooden Award Winner Odds