Closest to the Pin Returns! Round 1: DePaul

RESULTS: With the Cats sloppy win over DePaul, 68 - 65, we congratulate 3 VUHoops contestants who scored in this round, as recapped in the scatterplot and table below.

Players receiving points in this round (to see results for all 87 contestants in this round, click HERE):

VUHOOPS vs. VEGAS: A theoretical gambler making two wagers (i.e., betting the spread and total score) based on the insights of the VUHoops Crowd as expressed in the median predicted scores vs. the posted Vegas line on the game, would have had a DOUBLE-LOSS by taking ‘Nova giving 24.5 points ($100 LOSS) and taking the OVER on total points ($100 LOSS).  The details are shown below. For the contest through this game, we are down $200.

--------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE (December 28 6:30PM Tip-Off) ... Recapped below is the way the VUHoops Crowd saw this one:

Wisdom of VUHoops Crowd:

• % Picking Cats to Win: 100%
• Spread: Villanova -26.0
• Total Points: 148.0
• Final Score: Nova 87 - DePaul 61

Vegas Odds Makers:

• Spread:  Villanova -24.5
• Total Points:  141.5
• Final Score: Nova 83 - DePaul 59

Cash Raised for Villanova Basketball:

• # Reader Predictions: 87
• $ Raised for Nova Men's Basketball (this game): $435
• $ Raised for Nova Men's Basketball (cumulative): $435
  

--------------------------------------------------------------

The Closest to the Pin Contest returns for its seventh season, beginning with the upcoming DePaul game on Wednesday, December 28. Our past Champions are:

• 2015-16 Season: The Arch
• 2014-15 Season: drpainosaurus
• 2013-14 Season: PacADAM
• 2011-12 Season: Dom & Scott0220 (Tie)
• 2010-11 Season: Regred
• 2009-10 Season: Andy'06

Contestants predict the final score prior to tip-off of each game. Points will be awarded to the three contestants with the smallest absolute difference between their predicted scores and the actual final score of the game without regard to whether the contestant correctly picked the winning team. The contestant coming closest to the final score earns three (3) points, second closest earns two (2) points and third closest earns one (1) point. If the player with the most accurate prediction picks the score exactly (i.e., a "Hole-in-One"), he or she earns three (3) bonus points (i.e., 6 points in total). There can be more than three contestants earning points in the event of one or more ties.

The contestant accumulating the most points over the ten-game contest will win bragging rights as this season's best prognosticator among the VUHoops.com faithful, plus a $50 gift certificate from Fanatics.com that can be used toward the purchase of Villanova gear.

Now let's begin the process of determining who will rise to become our 2016-17 Champion.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Window Opening (December 26, 11:00am ET): The window is now open for you to post your predicted final score for Wednesday's game vs. DePaul. The official contest rules are posted HERE.

The table below provides a head-to-head comparison of the two teams.

Enter your predicted final score in the comments section in the format: NOVA xx, DePaul yy.

The comments will close when the game tips off.

Good luck!