Butler Bulldogs vs. Villanova Wildcats Picks and Prediction for Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Use Code WWWC It’s a battle of Big East foes on the hardwood as a pair of squads lock up in the City of Brotherly Love looking to pick up a victory as the Butler Bulldogs are on the road as they travel to take on the Villanova Wildcats Wednesday night and we have you covered with our Butler vs. Villanova prediction. Butler comes in off an 80-75 home win over Xavier Saturday in their previous game, covering the line as a 3.5-point favorite. Villanova was downed 73-63 by #5 UConn at home in their previous game Saturday, failing to cover the line as a 3.5-point underdog. In the all-time series between the teams, the Wildcats own a 20-7 advantage and have won the last four meetings, including an 85-67 road win in the first matchup this season January 3. Read more about this Butler vs. Villanova prediction! Struggling with handicapping? Get our top NCAAB Betting Picks and increase your bankroll!
Butler Trying to Earn Road Victory
Butler won their second straight after a six-game slide as they took down Xavier at home their last time out Saturday. The Bulldogs improved to 15-13 overall and stand just 6-11 in Big East play on the year. Against Xavier, Butler never trailed in the contest, taking the lead for good after scoring five straight points to break a 4-4 tie, and built the advantage from there. The Bulldogs were up 46-27 at the half and led by as many as 21 in the contest. Butler withstood a late charge that saw their lead sliced to 77-75 with 1:55 remaining to hold on for the win. The Bulldogs shot 47.3% from the field, including three of 11 from beyond the arc, and won the points in the paint battle 44-30. Michael Ajayi paced Butler with 24 points and nine boards in the win.
The Bulldogs put up an average of 80.2 points per game on the season, which puts them 92nd in the nation in scoring offense. Butler pulls down 37.7 rebounds per contest (71st) and dish out 15.8 assists (75th in the nation) per contest. The Bulldogs are below average on the defensive end of the floor, ranking 273rd in scoring defense as they allow 77.2 points per game this season. Finley Bizjack leads the team and is one of two players averaging in double figures as he puts up 17.5 points and 2.5 assists per game this season. Michael Ajayi (16 points, 11.1 rebounds), Jamie Kaiser Jr. (9.7 points, 4.5 rebounds) and Yohan Traore are good secondary options this season. Jalen Jackson, Evan Haywood, Yame Butler, Azavier Robinson, Drayton Jones, Jack McCaffrey, Jackson Keith and Ethan McComb are looked at to contribute for coach Thad Matta. Butler shoots 45.4% from the field as a team on the season. The Bulldogs knock down an average of 7.2 triples a night while hitting 33.7% from beyond the arc, which is 209th in the country. Butler is struggling at the charity stripe as they sink 70.8% of their chances this season, which is 234th in the nation.
Key Injury Report for Butler:
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- Guard Jalen Jackson (ankle) is out for the season.
- Guard Azavier Robinson (undisclosed) is out.
- Guard Evan Haywood (thigh) is questionable.
Wildcats Seek to Rebound From Dud Performance
Villanova saw their six-game winning streak snapped as they were hammered by #5 UConn in their previous contest Saturday. The Wildcats fell to 21-6 overall on the season, 12-4 in the Big East) and look to beat Butler for the fifth straight time as they take the floor here. Against UConn, Villanova led by as many as four in the first half and trailed by as many as five before going to the half down 34-32. The Wildcats gave up a 13-2 run to start the second half and never recovered. Villanova was down as many as 21 before cutting the margin in garbage time. The Wildcats shot 40.7% from the floor, including six of 24 from beyond the arc, and saw the Huskies shoot 54.9% in the contest. Tyler Perkins led the Wildcats with 15 points and six rebounds in the loss.
The Wildcats are an above average offensive unit as they are averaging 77.7 points per game so far this season, putting them 141st in the nation in scoring offense. Villanova is collecting an average of 35.2 rebounds a game (199th) while dishing out 15.4 assists per contest on the year. The Wildcats are an above average team on the defensive end of the floor, holding opposing teams to 70 points a contest, leaving them 77th in the nation in scoring defense so far this season. Bryce Lindsay is one of four players averaging in double figures this season as he puts up 12.2 points plus 2.2 assists per game on the year. Acaden Lewis (12.6 points, 5.3 assists), Matt Hodge (9.5 points, 3.8 assists) and Duke Brennan (12.1 points, 10.4 rebounds) are solid secondary scoring options. Devin Askew (9.5 points), Tyler Perkins (13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds), Chris Jeffrey, Malachi Palmer, Tafara Gapare and Braden Pierce are key contributors for coach Kevin Willard in his rotation. Villanova is shooting 45.7% from the field as a team on the year, putting them 155th in the nation. The Wildcats are knocking down 9.8 triples (42nd) a night while shooting 35.8% (77th) from beyond the arc. Villanova is a subpar team at the charity stripe as they convert 68.8% of their attempts on the season, which is 293rd in the nation.
Key Injury Report for Villanova:
- No Key Injuries
Butler vs. Villanova Pick
Butler vs. Villanova Spread Pick
- Villanova -9.5 (4 units)
Butler has won two straight but beating Georgetown and Xavier doesn’t move the needle all that much. Villanova had won six straight before getting upended by UConn but they’ve been solid this season. The Wildcats took care of the Bulldogs by double figures on the road last month in the first meeting this season and they’re at home for this one. Villanova is 12-3 at home on the year while Butler is just 2-7 on the road and 2-6 in Quad I contests this season. The Wildcats have won three of the four straight in this series by double figures and given Butler’s road issues, give the points and back the hosts here.
Butler vs. Villanova Over/Under Pick
- Over 146.5 (4 units)
Butler has gone over the number in 15 of their 28 games in relation to the total on the year. The Bulldogs are 63rd in offensive efficiency, 205th in effective field goal percentage (51.4%), 51st in offensive rebounds per game (12.61), 209th in three-point shooting and 17th in free throw attempts (25.8) on the year. Butler runs as they are 141st in tempo with 67.9 possessions a night. Villanova is 32nd in offensive efficiency, 98th in the nation in effective field goal percentage (54.6%), 135th in turnover percentage (16.6%), 69th in offensive rebounds per game (12.26) and 37th in defensive efficiency. The Wildcats are a slow-paced team as they are 331st in adjusted pace with 64.2 possessions per game. Villanova has seen the over post a 16-11 mark in their 27 games in relation to the total this season. The Wildcats are good offensively and Butler gave up 85 points in the first meeting. This game goes over the number.
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