NBA Postseason Best Bets (5/17)
Alex Christenson
The college basketball season is almost two weeks away, and here at FTN Bets we have you covered for what promises to be another thrilling year of upsets and incredible finishes. I will be taking you around the country with a betting preview of the major conferences and mid-major teams. I recap the betting trends from last season, list projected starters, preview the season, identify a key player and reveal how I’m backing or fading each team.
Let’s continue our preview with the Big East. Despite a midseason slump that saw Connecticut lose five of six games, head coach Danny Hurley always believed in the ceiling for his talented Huskies team. Connecticut ended the regular season winning eight of their last nine games, before suffering a two-point semifinal loss to eventual Big East Tournament champion Marquette. The top teams in this conference are exceptionally strong and compare favorably with any other conference, the Big 12 included. Connecticut and Marquette are top-20 teams this season, with Villanova, Creighton and Xavier rostering fantastic talent. Villanova was the dominant Big East team for a decade, with three Final Four appearances in a four-year span from 2015-2018. Last season, Creighton fell by one point, 57-56, to San Diego State in the Elite Eight.
Can the Big East return a team, or two, the Final Four?
Let’s start with our betting preview for the Villanova Wildcats.
Villanova Wildcats Betting Preview
Conference: Big East
Head Coach: Kyle Neptune (2nd season)
2022-2023 Record: 17-17 (10-10)
ATS: 14-20
O/U: 16-18
Projected Starters: G Justin Moore (13.5 PPG); G TJ Bamba; G Hakim Hart; F Tyler Burton; C Eric Dixon
Preview: The Jay Wright era officially ended, and the Kyle Neptune era started off in rough fashion. The Wildcats only returned 48.7% of their minutes from the prior season yet were predicted third in the coaches preseason pool, just one vote behind Xavier. They will now replace three starters, all via the transfer portal. Justin Moore will be fully healthy after only playing 13 games due to a torn Achilles in the 2022 Elite Eight against Houston. Make no mistake, this is a big second season for Neptune. There must be significant improvement with a lack of impact freshman entering the program.
Key Player: Tyler Burton
The Wildcats roster is loaded with transfer-talented wings. Hakim Hart (Maryland), TJ Bamba (Washington State) and Lance Ware (Kentucky) will all make a major impact. But none can flat-out score the ball like Richmond transfer Tyler Burton. The 6-foot-7 Burton can score it from all three levels and gets to the free throw line often. Burton scoring will translate despite “transferring up,” and his NCAA tournament experience and underrated rebounding will be critical to Villanova in the biggest games of the season.
Projection: I am nervous about this Villanova team and about Neptune’s job security. He had a solid group of returning veterans with an elite prospect in Cam Whitmore, and greatly disappointed the fan base. The “hangover” year from Jay Wright should have been better, and now Whitmore will try with transfers from other teams. Can he get the chemistry right in just one offseason? I have serious doubts.
How I’m Betting Villanova: The books didn’t adjust quick enough on the Wright dropoff, as the Wildcats failed to cover in six of their first seven games. They were just 3-9 in the non-conference, and I will be fading them again early. There’s a lot of talent on this roster, but big egos to manage. The most unselfish mindset is Burton, who is their best all-around player. I’m not confident Neptune can consistently win with this iteration of the Wildcats.
