Villanova Wildcats vs Providence Friar Picks and Predictions January 17th 2025

Villanova Seeks to Rebound at Home vs. Providence

Just two weeks ago, Villanova looked like a team on the rise after taking down No. 9 UConn. Now, the Wildcats find themselves in damage-control mode, trying to snap a two-game losing streak when they host Providence in Big East action Friday night.

Villanova Searching for Consistency

Following the 68-66 win over UConn on Jan. 5, Wildcats leading scorer Eric Dixon praised his team’s ability to defend and compete against top-tier opponents.

“That’s what it’s about,” Dixon said. “Going out there, defending and rebounding, getting stops against a great program like UConn and seeing where you’re at.”

However, where Villanova (11-7, 4-3 Big East) is at now looks much different. The Wildcats fell flat in their last two games, losing by 12 points at St. John’s and then 69-63 at Xavier on Tuesday.

“It’s the Big East. You’re on the road going against a good team,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said. “Things aren’t going to go your way all the time. It’s got to be a full 40 minutes.”

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Dixon and Jordan Longino each scored 18 points against Xavier, but Villanova needs more offensive balance to avoid dropping three straight games for the first time this season.

Providence Struggling on Defense

The Friars (9-9, 3-4 Big East) have been sliding as well, losing five of their last seven games while allowing 77.9 points per game in that span.

In Tuesday’s 84-64 blowout loss at Creighton, Providence surrendered 51% shooting from the field and nearly 44% from 3-point range.

“Against the upper echelon of this league, we talk about it with our team,” Friars coach Kim English said. “Marquette, Villanova, Connecticut and Creighton – we’ve got to be better. We’re 0-3 against those four so far with another one on Friday.”

Corey Floyd Jr. was the lone bright spot against Creighton, leading Providence with 10 points and eight rebounds.

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Head-to-Head Matchup

This will be the first meeting of the season between Villanova and Providence. The Wildcats swept last year’s series, winning 68-50 at home before securing an 11-point victory on the road four weeks later.

With both teams searching for stability in Big East play, this game could be a turning point for one squad while continuing a downward trend for the other.