Utah State Aggies vs Villanova Wildcats Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 03/20/2026

Game Time: 4:10 pm ET, Friday, March 20, 2026

Venue:  Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA

Where to Watch:  TNT

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  USU -1.5, Villanova +1.5; Over/Under:  147.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  USU -1.5, Villanova +1.5; Over/Under:  147.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  USU -1.5, Villanova +1.5; Over/Under:  147.5 points

Utah State Aggies:  28-6 (15-5) (1st place, MWC)

Villanova Wildcats:  24-8 (15-5) (3rd place, Big East)

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Utah State Aggies:  4-1  last 5

Villanova Wildcats:  3-2  last 5

Utah State is entering this game with a 28-6 record overall, a 15-5 record in conference games, and they are 7-0 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the San Diego State Aztecs in their last game. MJ Collins led the team in points in that game with 20 while Mason Falslev was next on the team with 16. Mason Falslev led the team in assists with 6 in that game while Drake Allen and Garry Clark each led the team in rebounds with 6. They were 46.2% from the field, 28.6% from 3-point range, and 53.8% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 82.5 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 70.4 PPG against them. Utah State has an ATS record of 15-18 this season and their O/U record is 19-14.

Villanova is entering this game with a 24-8 record overall, a 15-5 conference record, and they are 1-2 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Georgetown Hoyas in their last game. Duke Brennan led the team in points in that game with 14 while Tyler Perkins was next on the team with 13. Duke Brennan, Acaden Lewis, and Chris Jeffrey each led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Duke Brennan led the team in rebounds with 6. They were 37.7% from the field, 24.1% from 3-point range, and 78.6% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 77.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 70.8 PPG against them. Villanova has an ATS record of 19-13 this season and their O/U record is 19-13.

The current betting odds have Utah State listed as a 1.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Utah State has looked really good in their games this season with their 28-6 record overall and their 15-5 conference record which had them right at the top of the MWC. They have looked great in their neutral site games too with their 7-0 record in those. Meanwhile, Villanova has looked really good in their games this season with their 24-8 record overall and their 15-5 conference record which had them right near the top of the Big East. They haven't looked good in neutral site games though, going 1-2. Villanova finished near the top of the Big East, but the Big East wasn't a strong conference this season and they haven't looked their best lately. They are 3-2 in their last 5 games and were kicked out of the Big East Tournament by Georgetown who finished at the bottom of the conference. They were definitely playing their best closer to the start of the season, but now they are on their way back down while Utah State has looked like a solid team all year. Utah State finished at the top of the MWC and they also won the MWC Tournament. They were even ranked at one point in the season and they have been rolling lately with 4 wins in a row now. The MWC isn't a power conference, but they did have some really good teams this year so Utah State was getting tested often. Utah State has been flying under the radar since getting dropped from the top 25, but they have clearly been the best team in their conference all season and they are going to make some noise here with the talent they have. Utah State has the momentum on their side entering this NCAA Tournament and lately these two teams have been trending in opposite directions. The best way to place a bet here is on Utah State to cover the spread in this game. 

Utah State Villanova Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Friday, March 20, 2026 (4:10 pm ET start time) is Utah State 77 Villanova 71.

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Utah State Aggies: 1-7 ATS after successfully covering the spread in 3 or more consecutive games. 20-27 ATS off a win against a conference rival. 7-1 UNDER as a neutral court favorite of 6 points or less or pick.

Villanova Wildcats: 21-15 ATS after 1 or more consecutive losses. 11-6 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 80%). 6-1 ATS when the line is +3 to -3. 3-1 UNDER in first round tournament games.

Utah State Aggies:  None.

Villanova Wildcats:  M. Hodge (F) Out - Knee.

“You have to match their intensity. We don’t have the physicality, right, the strength, but our guys had heart. Our guys had attention to detail. There’s a process to win a game. There’s a mental game, there’s a physical game.” - Jerrod Calhoun on his team beating San Diego State for the Mountain West Conference Title.

“It just really stinks that the kid was going to be able to play in his first Big East tournament, his first NCAA Tournament, that’s really where [my head] is at.” - Kevin Willard on the injury to Matt Hodge.

D. Allen 

M. Collins 

A. Elamin 

M. Falslev 

Z. Keller

D. Brennan 

M. Hodge 

A. Lewis 

B. Lindsay 

T. Perkins

PPG: MJ Collins Jr. (17.6)

APG: Drake Allen (4.7)

Reb/G: Mason Falslev (5.8)

PPG: Tyler Perkins (13.7)

APG: Acaden Lewis (5.3)

Reb/G: Duke Brennan (10.3)

Coaches:

Utah State Aggies: Jerrod Calhoun (2nd season)

Villanova Wildcats: Kevin Willard (1st season)