Butler Bulldogs vs. Villanova Wildcats Betting Odds, College Basketball Pick

The second-ranked Villanova Wildcats (26-2, 13-2 Big East) can clinch the top seed in the conference tournament by avenging one of their two losses Wednesday when they host the 22nd-ranked Butler Bulldogs (21-6, 10-5) as big home chalk.

The defending national champion Wildcats fell to the Bulldogs 66-58 as two-point road favorites back on January 4 following a 14-0 start.

Point spread: The Wildcats opened as 9.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

Why the Bulldogs can cover the spread

Butler found a way to upset Villanova in the first meeting and can definitely stay within double digits here. Of the team's six losses, only one was decided by more than nine points—a 75-64 setback on the road versus the Creighton Bluejays, who have beaten the Bulldogs twice this season.

The other four losses to schools not named Creighton were by a combined 14 points, and Butler is 10-5 against the spread in its last 15 games as a double-digit underdog, according to the OddsShark College Basketball Database.

Why the Wildcats can cover the spread

The Wildcats have gone 29-1 straight up in their previous 30 home games, riding an 18-game winning streak there into this matchup. Six of their last seven at home have been decided by double digits, the exception being a 61-59 win over the Virginia Cavaliers on a tip-in by Donte DiVincenzo at the buzzer.

Villanova had trailed Virginia 31-22 at halftime, and the team has won seven straight overall, starting with that game.

Smart pick

The Bulldogs were able to slow down the Wildcats in the first meeting, holding them to a season-low point total in their upset victory. While Villanova has been much better offensively since then, the team has gone a disappointing 2-7 ATS in its last nine games following a four-game cover run immediately after that loss at Butler.

The key for the Bulldogs will again be dictating the pace, something they should be able to do effectively in the rematch as well. The Wildcats have won seven of the past eight meetings, but they have failed to cover the last two, which will become three here.

Betting trends

Butler is 2-4 ATS in its last six games.

Butler is 12-6 ATS in its last 18 games on the road.

The total has gone under in six of Villanova's last eight games.

All college basketball lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.