Villanova Wildcats vs Wisconsin Badgers Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 12/19/2025

Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Friday, December 19, 2025

Venue:  Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI 

Where to Watch:  FOX

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Villanova +4.5, Wisconsin -4.5; Over/Under:  150.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Villanova +4.5, Wisconsin -4.5; Over/Under:  150.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Villanova +4.5, Wisconsin -4.5; Over/Under:  150.5 points

Villanova Wildcats:  8-2 (0-0) (7th place, Big East)

Wisconsin Badgers:  7-3 (1-1) (13th place, Big Ten)

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Villanova Wildcats:  4-1  last 5

Wisconsin Badgers:  3-2  last 5

Villanova is entering this game with an 8-2 record overall, a 0-0 record in conference games, and they are 1-1 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Pittsburgh Panthers in their last game. Duke Brennan and Bryce Lindsay each led the team in points in that game with 24 while Acaden Lewis was next on the team with 11. Acaden Lewis led the team in assists with 7 in that game while Duke Brennan led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 52% from the field, 40.9% from 3-point range, and 75% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 80.4 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 68.1 PPG against them. Villanova has an ATS record of 7-3 this season and their O/U record is 5-5.

Wisconsin is entering this game with a 7-3 record overall, a 1-1 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 Nebraska Cornhuskers in their last game. Nicholas Boyd led the team in points in that game with 20 while Nolan Winter was next on the team with 10. Andrew Rohde and Nicholas Boyd each led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Nolan Winter led the team in rebounds with 6. They were 34.4% from the field, 21.9% from 3-point range, and 81.8% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 85.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 75.4 PPG against them. Wisconsin has an ATS record of 5-5 this season and their O/U record is 7-3.

The current betting odds have Wisconsin listed as a 4.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Wisconsin has looked good in their games this season with their 7-3 record overall, but their 1-1 conference record has them lower in the Big Ten. They haven't looked great in their neutral site games either, going 1-2 in those. Meanwhile, Villanova has looked great in their games this season with their 8-2 record overall, but that record has them lower in the Big East at the moment. They haven't been a great neutral site team either, going 1-1 in those games. This game is at a neutral site, but it is more like a home game for Wisconsin so they are going to have more of a home advantage here. They haven't been at their best lately as they are 3-2 in their last 5 games, but they are off a terrible loss to Nebraska in their last one and will be looking to bounce back. They lost by double digits in a huge blow out so look for them to bring a much better effort in this game. Villanova is off a win over Pitt in their last one and they have been rolling in their games lately, but they haven't really had a strong schedule to start the year. Willard is still in his 1st year coaching this team, trying to revive the program after falling off the last few years, and they still have a long road ahead to compete with a solid program like Wisconsin who has been churning out consistency the last few years. The best way to place a bet here is on Wisconsin to cover the spread in this game. 

Villanova Wisconsin Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Friday, December 19, 2025 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Wisconsin 79 Villanova 71.

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Villanova Wildcats: 6-12 ATS versus up-tempo teams averaging 62 or more shots/game. 3-7 ATS on the road or at a neutral site when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%). 6-11 ATS on the road or at a neutral site versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 13-6 OVER versus up-tempo teams averaging 62 or more shots/game.

Wisconsin Badgers: 20-12 ATS versus good passing teams, averaging 16 assists/game or more. 20-13 ATS when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%). 30-22 ATS versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing 14 turnovers/game or less. 8-3 OVER off a road loss against a conference rival.

Villanova Wildcats:  W. Chiddick (G) Questionable - Knee.

Wisconsin Badgers:  None.

“Duke’s biggest strengths are his energy, how hard he plays, and his rebounding. But when we can get him some points, it’s good to see him rewarded for how hard he plays.” - Kevin Willard after his team’s win against Pittsburgh in their last game. 

“Well, a lot of work on the defensive side of the ball. A lot of film work when we got back on Thursday, took time to really peel that apart and sit and talk the guys through everything with it. And then a lot of, you know, we’ve had to bounce around final schedules here too, so a lot of time on that end. And quite frankly, we got play harder. You can solve a lot and cover a lot of warts if you play harder. And that’s something I didn’t think we did.” - Greg Gard after his team’s loss against Nebraska in their last game. 

D. Brennan 

M. Hodge 

A. Lewis 

B. Lindsay 

T. Perkins

J. Blackwell 

N. Boyd 

A. Rapp 

A. Rohde 

N. Winter

PPG: Bryce Lindsay (17.2)

APG: Acaden Lewis (5.6)

Reb/G: Duke Brennan (11.7)

PPG: Nick Boyd (20.2)

APG: Nick Boyd (3.4)

Reb/G: Nolan Winter (9.4)

Coaches:

Villanova Wildcats: Kevin Willard (1st season)

Wisconsin Badgers: Greg Gard (11th season)