#9 Villanova (22-3, 11-2) is catching St John's (18-9, 8-6) at the right time and the wrong time. Benefitting the Wildcats today at 1:30 pm EST on Fox Sports 1 will be their home court, the ankle injury to Red Storm center Chris Obekpa (4.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.2 bpg), the birth of Orlando Sanchez's (7.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg) daughter, and their second season-altering loss to Creighton (from which they seem to recover well). Working against them is the heat emanating from this current Red Storm, finally answering early season projections. They've won nine of their last time, the last six in a row.

Can over ten rebounds between the two and Obekpa's three plus blocks be replaced? Probably not the three blocks, but the athletic, hustle-happy Red Storm should be okay on the glass against an equally tough Wildcat squad (and one with just a single high end rebounder, Daniel Ochefu). Villanova is more of a defensive rebounding team anyway, so the loss of Obekpa and Sanchez will likely be felt most on lost offensive rebounding opportunities.

Vegas seems to have considered the injuries, Villanova's bounce-back game at Providence (17-10, 7-7), and St. John's history against Villanova (winners in 12 of their last 14 meetings) over their recent torrid pace (four of their last six were won by at least 10 points). They'll be allotted nine points for their prognosticators to chew on. Even though 'Nova's my team, that spread seems a little too kind. Last meeting was an end-to-end battle. This one could be, too. St. John's for the cover.

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Record: 18-27 (starting to get pathetic)

Butler @ Creighton: L (picked Butler, +10.5)

UConn @ Memphis: L (picked Memphis, -7.5)

Depaul @ Villanova: W (picked Villanova, -17.5)

Pittsburg @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -5.5)

Creighton @ Villanova: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Baylor @ Kansas: W (picked Baylor, + 10.5)

Indiana @ Michigan State: L (picked Michigan State, -12)

Iowa @ Michigan: L (picked Iowa, + 1.5)

Colorado @ Arizona: W (picked Colorado, + 14.5)

Illinois @ Ohio State: W (picked Illinois, + 11)

Michigan @ Michigan State: W (picked Michigan, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Marquette: W (picked Villanova, -3)

Utah @ Arizona: W (picked Utah, + 15)

Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State: W (picked Oklahoma, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Georgetown: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Michigan State @ Iowa: W (picked Michigan State, + 5)

St. John's @ Creighton: W (picked St. John's, + 12)

Iowa State @ Kansas: L (picked Iowa State, + 8.5)

Syracuse @ Wake Forest: L (picked Syracuse, -10)

Purdue @ Michigan: L (picked Michigan, -12)

Florida @ Mississippi State: W (picked Miss. State, + 15)

Duke @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -3)

Xavier @ Villanova: L (picked Xavier, + 10)

Nebraska @ Michigan: L (picked Nebraska, + 13)

Boston College @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -13)

Oregon @ Arizona: L (picked Arizona, -11)

Oklahamo State @ Texas Tech: W (picked Texas Tech, + 6.5)

West Virginia @ Kansas: L (picked WVU, + 14)

Maryland @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -11)

Iowa State @ West Virginia: L (picked Iowa State, - 1.5)

Michigan @ Ohio State: L (picked Ohio State, -3.5)

Florida @ Tennessee: W (picked Florida, - 1.5)

Syracuse @ Pittsburg: W (picked Syracuse, + 2.5 -- absurd line)

Villanova @ Depaul: W (picked Villanova, -14)

Creighton @ Butler: L (picked Creighton, -8.5)

West Virginia @ Texas: W (picked Texas, -6)

Florida @ Kentucky: L (picked Kentucy, -2)

VCU @ Saint Louis: W (picked VCU, +4.5)

Villanova @ Creighton: L (picked Villanova, -3.5)

Texas @ Iowa State: L (picked Texas, +6)

Villanova @ Providence: L (picked Villanova, -4.5)

Wichita State @ Loyola: L (picked Loyola, + 13.5)

Creighton @ Marquette: W (picked Creighton, -3)

Gonzaga @ BYU: L (picked Gonzaga, +2)

Duke @ North Carolina: L (picked Duke, -2)