Villanova Wildcats vs. DePaul Blue Demons Picks and Prediction for Wednesday, March 4, 2026
We have a Big East battle on Tuesday night in this Villanova vs. DePaul prediction. Villanova (22-7, 13-5 BEast) is in third place, while the Blue Demons (16-13, 8-10 BEast) are in fifth place, after winning two straight games. These teams met near Philadelphia (Villanova is about 15 minutes outside the city) on Dec. 31, with the Wildcats winning 71-66, but not covering the 12.5. They'll meet again from Chicago on Wednesday night at 8 PM ET. Check out more college basketball predictions and free tournament picks at Winners and Whiners.
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Nova gets crushed by an angry St. John's team
The Wildcats are sitting at 33rd in the NET Rankings and a No. 6 seed in the latest ESPN Bracketology report. They will be going dancing in mid-March, but would like to send the season on a better note after losing to UConn at home by 10, beating Butler on Feb. 25 and then getting crushed last Saturday at St. John's 89-57. The Red Storm were coming off a 72-40 loss at UConn, where they shot 20% from the field and missed their last 24 field-goal attempts over the final 17:27.
Villanova not only lost the game, but also lost freshman starter Matt Hodge (9.2ppg) to a season-ending knee injury in the game. Leading scorer Tyler Perkins (13.3ppg) was held to just three against the Red Storm, but did score 19 points in the first meeting against DePaul. The Wildcats are 34th overall on KenPom, 44th in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 38th in Adjusted Defense. They are also just 188th in total rebounding percentage.
DePaul looking to finish strong
The Blue Demons are not headed for the NCAA Tournament at 16-13, but they've made strides and will likely be in the NIT after winning two straight over Marquette and Creighton on the road. They've also won four of five, which includes two wins over Creighton. The Big East is down this season outside of UConn, St. John's and Villanova. DePaul can win its ninth conference game with a win on Wednesday night, which would match the school-record for most Big East wins from the 2006-07 season. They are also in a position to grab a bye into the quarterfinals for the Big East Tournament.
NJ Benson leads the way for the Blue Demons with 17.4 points and 10.6 rebounds over his last five games. He's averaging 11.3 points and 7.6 rebounds overall, while guard CJ Gunn leads in scoring with 13.65 points on 41.4% shooting. On KenPom, DePaul ranks 93rd overall, 181st in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 39th in Adjusted Defense. They also rank 182nd in total rebounding percentage. 
Stats, Picks and Predictions for Villanova vs. DePaul
Villanova vs. DePaul Picks
- DePaul +3.5 (5 units)
It's hard not to like the way this DePaul team is playing and Villanova isn't really playing for much right now aside from pride. Villanova is also going to miss the 6-8, 230-pound Hodge, who shot 37% from three-point range. DePaul's defense was very good in that first meeting, holding the Wildcats to 34% from the field and it will improve on their three-point defense (43% last game). They also outrebounded Villanova by 8, which will once again be an advantage, but this time, DePaul will take this game outright.
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Nick Parsons | +4,844.00 |
| 2 |  Mark Ruelle | +4,761.00 |
| 3 |  Ricky Tran | +4,179.00 |
| 4 |  Rocky Atkinson | +3,950.00 |
| 5 |  The Gold Sheet | +2,955.00 |
Total Pick for Villanova vs. DePaul
- Under 135.5 (5 units)
These teams play a slow tempo. DePaul is at 265th, while Villanova is at 316th. The first game went under the total. DePaul has gone under in three of four games and that's their formula. Hold teams to 71 or fewer points in five straight games and win four of them. They are not going to outscore many teams and win track meets. They are also very tough defensively at home, holding opponents to just 40.6% shooting and 67.2 points per game.
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