Villanova Standout Title Hope in Big East

Villanova WIldcats

• Conference Odds: -125
• National Title Odds: +1600

The Wildcats finished last season with an 18-7 record and 11-4 in the Big East before losing to Georgetown in the conference tournament.

Jay Wright’s team came unstuck in the NCAA Tournament when losing to Baylor in the Sweet 16. However, given the interruptions of the previous season, it wasn’t a bad year.

They have added two four-star recruits in Jordan Longino and Nnanna Njoku, but they lost Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to the NBA, who now plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

It all starts tomorrow 😼#HumbleAndHungry pic.twitter.com/PJJAYMKpyh

— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) November 8, 2021

They still have Collin Gillespie and Jahvon Quinerly, who are in the top 20 for the John R. Wooden Award.

The sportsbook has Villanova at -125 to win the Big East. It’s a short quote, but it’s fair considering their record. The Wildcats won the Big East Tournament in 1995, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019, so bettors get a good run for their money.

Connecticut Huskies

• Conference Odds: +450
• National Title Odds: +6000

The Connecticut Huskies have been supported at long odds to win the national championship. They have firmed consistently since markets opened, which could have something to do with their recruitments.

Losing James Bouknight to the NBA won’t be easy to recover from, but adding four four-star recruits is a bonus. Samson Johnson, Rahsool Diggins, Jordan Hawkins and Corey Floyd Jr. are all listed in the top 20 for their position, so it’s a good class.

It could give Connecticut a chance to run down Villanova for the Big East title. It finished third last season and there is a sense of confidence in Connecticut, so it could be worth a wager at the value odds.

Xavier Musketeers

• Conference Odds: +650
• National Title Odds: +12500

Coming off a disappointing 6-7 record in the Big East last season, the Xavier Musketeers are looking to post a better record.

Adding Cesare Edwards, a four-star recruit from Hartville High School, could add some excitement. However, we’re expecting Xavier to struggle for the most part.

It will cause some upset results, so there will be value in betting online markets, but we can’t see the Musketeers topping Villanova or Connecticut for the Big East title.

Travis Steele’s team is still in a rebuilding phase, but they should improve on their seventh-place finish last season.

Butler Bulldogs

• Conference Odds: +1800
• National Title Odds: N/A

It doesn’t feel that long ago when Brad Stevens coached the Butler Bulldogs to a deep run in the tournament. However, times have changed.

They went 8-12 in Big East Conference play last season, and we can’t see those numbers improving too much. They weren’t able to secure a top recruit, which isn’t surprising, but they did acquire four-year senior Ty Groce from Eastern Michigan.

Head coach LaVall Jordan has his work cut out for him, and although Butler will be competitive, we can’t see it winning conference honors.

St. John’s Red Storm

• Conference Odds: +2200
• National Title Odds: N/A

There have been plenty of player transfers in the offseason, which we see as a negative toward the Red Storm’s conference title hopes.

St. John’s finished 10-9 in the Big East last season, which was good for a tie for fourth. However, losing the likes of Josh Roberts, Marcellus Earlington and Greg Williams Jr. is a good chunk of talent.

Eight of their players transferred to other teams, which is a telling number. It could be a long season for the Red Storm, and we don’t think they’ll take part in March Madness betting this year.

Creighton Bluejays

• Conference Odds: +2200
• National Title Odds: +5000

Despite being on the same line as St. John’s for the Big East, there is more confidence with Creighton in National Championship betting markets.

The Bluejays are +5000 to win it all, which is unlikely, but we wouldn’t overlook the +2200 to win the Big East. They went 14-6 to finish second last season, and made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual runner-up Gonzaga.

There has been controversy surrounding 12-year coach Greg McDermott, and despite losing four players to the NBA Draft, they have added four four-star recruits.

The future is bright for Creighton, so we’re surprised at the value odds available for the Big East Conference.

Providence

• Conference Odds: +3300
• National Title Odds: N/A

Providence looked good in the early stages of last season, going 7-3 through the first 10 games. However, it ended the season with a 13-13 record after losing to DePaul in the first round of the Big East Tournament.

Ed Cooley’s team will need to improve to test the better teams in this conference, and we can’t see that happening. Five of their best players have left, including David Duke Jr., who declared for the NBA Draft.

Getting Al Durham from Indiana and two ranked recruits should add confidence, but Providence could struggle in the back half of the year.

Georgetown Hoyas

• Conference Odds: +3300
• National Title Odds: +10000

Bettors get +3300 for a team that knocked Villanova out of the Big East Tournament last season.

It was an interrupted year with COVID-19 resulting in four games being cancelled. However, they posted a 7-9 record in the Big East before beating Marquette, Villanova, Seton Hall and Creighton to win the Big East title.

Despite losing in the first round of the tournament to Colorado, the Hoyas should feel proud of winning the Big East. Achieving that feat two years running is difficult, but it was good enough to attract five-star recruit Aminu Mohammed, so there is something to get excited about.

Playing for Patrick Ewing is one reason why Mohammed committed to Georgetown.

“He played in the NBA, and that’s really going to help,” Mohammed told The Washington Post. “It’s going to help push you there. Either way, he’s going to be a tough coach. He’s going to tell you the truth. I just felt like he is going to push me like that and he is going to help me get to my final destination.”

Georgetown could be a team worth following.

Marquette Golden Eagles

• Conference Odds: +5000
• National Title Odds: +15000

Expectations are low for the Marquette Golden Eagles, who come off an 8-11 season in the Big East.

However, former Texas coach Shaka Smart takes over the head coaching role, and he has worked wonders in the past.

The list of departures is long, including D.J Carton (NBA) and Theo John (Duke). They have added some solid recruits, but it could take a couple of years for Marquette to find its rhythm.

It’s good enough to post a winning record in the Big East, but we can’t see it winning the conference.

DePaul Blue Demons

• Conference Odds: +12500
• National Title Odds: N/A

DePaul went 2-13 in Big East play last season, but scored an upset over Providence in the first round of the Big East Tournament.

It eventually lost to Connecticut in the second round, but after finishing last in the Big East for a fifth consecutive year, the Blue Demons parted ways with their coach.

Tony Stubblefield takes over, but he’s in for a long season at the helm.