The No. 5 UConn Huskies head to Philadelphia to face the Villanova Wildcats in a rematch of a game that went to overtime in Storrs last month.
The two teams are among the slowest-paced offenses in the nation, and UConn is coming off a horrible home loss to Creighton.
That's why my UConn vs. Villanova predictions and college basketball picks call for Villanova to grind out a cover on Saturday, February 22.
UConn vs Villanova prediction
UConn vs Villanova best bet: Villanova +2.5 (-116)
The UConn Huskies are 24-3, but they’ve been living dangerously. They have just nine ATS wins all season, haven’t covered in four straight, and have failed to cash in 11 of their last 13 games.
UConn’s defense, which was a strength early in the season, is slipping — their last two opponents have combined to shoot 22-for-49 (44.9%) from three.
Now they face a red-hot Villanova Wildcats squad on a six-game win streak, ranked 60th nationally in three-point accuracy. Bryce Lindsay looks locked in, and Alex Karaban’s injury further erodes UConn’s advantage.
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UConn vs Villanova same-game parlay
Both teams play at a crawl. UConn ranks 291st in pace, and Villanova is even slower. Their January matchup needed overtime to reach 142 points.
As for Lindsay, the slump (2-for-20, 1-for-14 from three over three games) looks like a blip. He snapped out of it last game (4-of-8 from deep) and now returns home against a UConn defense that’s leaking threes.
UConn vs Villanova SGP
- Villanova +2.5
- Under 140.5
- Bryce Lindsay Over 9.5 points
Our beyond the arc SGP: Reed's Rebounds!
Expect Tarris Reed to have a big game.
UConn will focus on boxing out Nova’s top rebounder, Duke Brennan, while Perkins should pick up the slack for the Wildcats — making him the better bet to eclipse his rebounding total.
UConn vs Villanova SGP
- Villanova +2.5
- Under 140.5
- Tarris Reed Over 8.5 rebounds
- Tyler Perkins Under 6.5 rebounds
UConn vs Villanova odds
- Spread: UConn -2 (-110) | Villanova +2 (-110)
- Moneyline: UConn -145 | Villanova +125
- Over/Under: Over 140.5 (-110) | Under 140.5 (-110)
UConn vs Villanova betting trend to know
Villanova has covered the spread in 16 of its last 25 games. Find more college basketball betting trends for UConn vs. Villanova.
How to watch UConn vs Villanova
| Location | Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA |
| Date | Saturday, February 21, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 5:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
UConn vs Villanova key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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