First of three straight in-state games for the Wildcats
After beating Tennessee by 18 in the first game of the Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic, the Villanova Wildcats were looking to make it two wins in a row after their defeat to UCLA. This was also a chance to get some early season silverware as it was the championship game of the Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic. Against a top five team in the Purdue Boilermakers,Villanova had a steady first half and were leading by two at the break. However, they were outscored by eight in the second half as Purdue caught fire offensively to a 80-74 win. The Boilermakers shot 61.5 percent from the field and knocked down five of nine attempts from downtown in the final twenty minutes. Justin Moore led the way for the Wildcats with 19 points while Colin Gilespie pitched in with 14. Villanova now drops to 3-2 on the season but the record doesn’t tell the whole story. Their two losses have come against two of the top teams in the country, which isn’t a loss to be ashamed of. The Wildcats are still ranked in the Top 10 of the AP Poll, sitting there at number seven.
Villanova now return to Pennsylvania to play three straight games against in-state opponents. Their first two matchups of this trio will be taking place at the Palestra in Philadelphia and it’s coming against a school they have played many times before.
The LaSalle Explorers will be coming into Sunday night’s matchup looking to make it two wins in a row for the first time this season. They have a record of 2-2 and most recently notched a win against Army at home. It was a poor shooting night for the visitors as La Salle held them to 31.1 percent shooting from the field. On offense, the Explorers won the points in the paint and off turnovers battle while notching 17 fast break points. It was a close game late but LaSalle was able to hold on for the 61-58 victory. After this game, LaSalle has another in-state game against Temple before starting a three-game home stand.
The key player for the Villanova defense will be guard Josh Nickelberry. He currently leads the team in scoring with 12.3 points per game. LaSalle has size at the wing spots with 6’6 Christian Ray playing small forward. He is the team leader in rebounding with 8.8 boards per game.
How to watch or stream
Game Time: 7PM ET
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Villanova IHeart Radio Network (Villanova) | La Salle Radio Network (La Salle)
Stream: Watch ESPN
Gamblin’ Odds
Line: Villanova is an 18.5 point favorite in this one but you can also find them at -18.
O/U: The over/under is set at 138.5 but there are totals of 138 available as well.
Record ATS: 3-2 (Villanova) | 1-3 (La Salle)
All info via the Action Network and Odds Shark
Last Time They Met
This will be the 67th meeting between the two Philadelphia schools. Villanova leads the all-time series 39-27. They last played in 2019 with the Wildcats winning 83-72. Villanova has been dominant in this series in the Jay Wright era as they are 17-2 against LaSalle in that time frame (as per the Villanova Game Notes).