George Mason vs Villanova | Prediction & Pick

George Mason and Villanova square off in first round fight of former Cinderella

When the Villanova Wildcats and George Mason Patriots do battle in a second round East Region contest on Friday in Cleveland, will it lead to their fans dreaming of 1985 or 2006?

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#8 George Mason (26-6, 16-2 CAA) vs. #9 Villanova (21-11, 9-9 Big East)

Date/Time: Friday, March 18, 2:10 PM ET
Venue: Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH.
Broadcast: TNT

Money Line: N/A
Spread: George Mason -1 ½
Over/Under: 127 ½

Nineteen eighty-five was the season that the Wildcats reached the Final Four and eventually won the national championship. In a stunning upset of Big East Conference rival and defending-champion Georgetown, the Wildcats shot 78.6 percent from the field and missed just one second half shot for an improbable victory. The current squad from Philadelphia has reached the NCAA Tournament for a seventh straight season under the direction of current coach Jay Wright, and would like to return to the Final Four for the second time in three years.

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Two-thousand six was the season that saw the Patriots put final validation on the argument for mid-major teams being place into this tournament with schools from the so-called power conferences. An at-large selection from the CAA that was criticized by many, the Patriots used that as motivation to show they belong. Not only did they win their first round game that year against Michigan State, but they also knocked out perennial powers North Carolina and Connecticut to reach the Final Four. These Patriots return to the tournament for the first time since 2008.

Villanova enters the tournament in much the same way that 2006 GMU club did, with some wondering if they are worthy of selection. Thought they played great early in the season, with wins against seven teams in the tournament, they went just 2-7 in their last nine games, including a bad loss to South Florida in the opening round of the Big East tournament.

The Wildcats look to the ‘Two Coreys’ to carry them back into the winner’s circle. Corey Fisher averages 15.4 points per game and 4.8 assists per contest. Corey Stokes scored 15.0 points per game and shot 43.4 percent from three-point range. Stokes missed several games down the stretch with a hamstring injury.

The Patriots have three players averaging double digits in scoring: Cam Long (15.3 PPG), Ryan Pearson (14.4 PPG), and Luke Hancock (10.7 PPG), with Hancock averaging 4.3 assists per contest. Long is the senior leader who was recruited during the Pats run to the Final Four.

The odds makers have the George Mason Patriots as a -1.5 point favorite with an over/under of 127.5.

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Prediction: The injury status of Stokes is likely to be a game day decision about whether he starts and how much he’ll play. Still, the Wildcats have enough talent to find a way to edge out a close victory.

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George Mason Patriots Betting Trends:

• George Mason is 16-1 SU in its last 17 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of George Mason’s last 6 games