RESULTS: With the Cat's tough 62-78 loss at Syracuse, we congratulate three VUHoops readers who earned points in this game:
- pacAdam (Nova 65, Syracuse 78) awarded 5 points
- Ed Dechellis (Nova 66, Syracuse 75) awarded 3 points
- Mike J (Nova 67, Syracuse 72) awarded 1 point.
Note: VUHoops editorial staff and writers are permitted to play but are not eligible to win the prize for this contest. The leader board after two rounds is provided below.
VUHOOPS vs. VEGAS: Based on the average predicted scores of the VUHoops Crowd and the posted Vegas line, we would have had a PUSH by betting ‘Nova +4 points (LOSS) and betting the OVER (WIN). Over two rounds, we would be even money.
LEADER BOARD
| Player | Points |
| pacAdam | 5 |
| speedracer33 | 5 |
| Villanovafan152 | 5 |
| Ed Dechellis | 3 |
| jwscones | 3 |
| novAbrasion | 3 |
| NovaDave | 3 |
| sjkqw | 3 |
| Wildecat15 | 3 |
| BrendanColliton | 1 |
| Jack The Tripper | 1 |
| Mike J | 1 |
| novanation63 | 1 |
| tk1434 | 1 |
| Zachary Rahn | 1 |
SCATTER PLOT OF PREDICTED SCORES
Note: Once again, with apologies to BossHogHazzard, his predicted score of 77-47 did not fit on the Scatter Plot.
UPDATE (Saturday, 2:05 PM - Game Time)
# Reader Predictions: 66
% Picking Cats to Win: 95%
Wisdom of VUHoops' Crowd Prediction:
o Spread: Villanova -7
o Over/Under: 147
o Final Score: Cats 77 - Orange 70
Vegas Odds Makers' Prediction:
o Spread: Villanova +4
o Over/Under: 136.
o Final Score: Cats 66 - Orange 70
Window Opening (December 27, 3:00 PM): The window is now open for our readers to post their predicted final scores for Saturday's game at Syracuse in the second round of the Closest to the Pin Contest. Villanovafan152 and speedracer33 are tied for first place after round one; click HERE to see the full leader board. The official contest rules are detailed HERE.
Villanova (11-0) is ranked #8 in the AP Poll, #7 in the RPI and #70 SOS. The Cats average 82.5 PPG while giving up an average of 64.0 PPG.
Syracuse (11-0) is ranked #2 in the AP Poll and #4 in the RPI and #38 SOS. The Orange average 76.5 PPG while giving up an average of 62.1 PPG. Their best wins have been against Baylor (RPI #10), Minnesota (RPI #42) and St. John's (RPI #57).
Enter your predicted final score in the comments section in the format: Nova xx, Syracuse yy. Good luck to you all!
