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predictions for Villanova game

  • asteroid
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7 years 5 months ago #18165 by asteroid
Survive and advance.

Villanova is playing their third consecutive Big 12 opponent.  Although the
Wildcats' schedule is decent (the Big East consists of top tier teams, added
to a handful of top tier non-conference opponents), the highest rated team
they've played is #9 West Virginia.  Kansas at #6 represents their toughest
test this season.  Of course, Villianova at #1 also represents Kansas'
toughest test this season, though the Jayhawks did play #2 Duke recently.
And Villnova is only 1 point stronger than Duke, according to the Sagarin
Predictor ratings.

At least with the Duke game, common opponents favored Kansas, as did a few of
the usual prognosticators.  The problem is that none of the usual indicators
favors Kansas in Saturday's Final Four contest.  A win by Kansas would qualify
as an upset.  Maybe not a huge one, but an upset nevertheless.  Villanova is
the overall #2 seed, while Kansas is the overall #3 seed, so it's the game
featuring the top two remaining teams.  It'll have a national championship
flavor to it, even though there is one more game after that, featuring
whoever survives the decimated other side of the bracket.

But is Kansas now underrated, based on the recent emergence of Newman, Vick's
return to early season form, and the development of DeSousa as a legitimate
backup to Azubuike?  Maybe so, but Vegas apparently doesn't think it'll help
that much.  Curiously, Vegas favors Villanova by more than Sagarin Predictor
does.

Villanova is a legit opponent.  They have a higher performance relative to
Predictor rating, they're more consistent, they have a positive trend, and
they have a positive mental toughness rating:

                    Kansas   Villanova
performance         +0.32      +1.30
inconsistency       12.36      10.41
trend               -0.15      +0.05     neither is statistically significant
mental toughness    -0.40      +0.06

These make the Wildcats a 7 to 8 point favorite.

Among the eight key offensive stats, Kansas has the advantage in just two, namely
assists per game and offensive rebound percentage.  Among the seven key defensive
stats, Kansas has the advantage in three, namely offensive rebounds per game, blocks
per game, and personal fouls per game.

Common Opponents
================
There are four common opponents, namely Penn, Seton Hall, West Virginia, and Texas
Tech, one of which Villanova has played twice (Seton Hall), one of which Kansas has
played twice (Texas Tech), and one of which Kansas has played three times (West
Virginia), giving us eight scores to compare:

KU   +16 Penn neutral (+16 neutral court)
Vill +28 Penn at home (+25 neutral court)
KU    -9 Vill neutral ( -9 neutral court)

KU    +4 SH   neutral ( +4 neutral court)     KU    +4 SH   neutral ( +4 neutral court)
Vill +16 SH   at home (+13 neutral court)     Vill  +1 SH   on road ( +4 neutral court)
KU    -9 Vill neutral ( -9 neutral court)     KU     0 Vill neutral (  0 neutral court)

KU    +8 WVU  at home ( +5 neutral court)     KU    +5 WVU  on road ( +8 neutral court)
Vill +12 WVU  neutral (+12 neutral court)     Vill +12 WVU  neutral (+12 neutral court)
KU    -7 Vill neutral ( -7 neutral court)     KU    -4 Vill neutral ( -4 neutral court)

KU   +11 WVU  neutral (+11 neutral court)
Vill +12 WVU  neutral (+12 neutral court)
KU    -1 Vill neutral ( -1 neutral court)

KU    +2 TTU  on road ( +5 neutral court)     KU   -12 TTU  at home (-15 neutral court)
Vill +12 TTU  neutral (+12 neutral court)     Vill +12 TTU  neutral (+12 neutral court)
KU    -7 Vill neutral ( -7 neutral court)     KU   -27 Vill neutral (-27 neutral court)

None of the comparisons favor Kansas, seven favor Villanova, and one is a wash.  The
average is 8.0 points in favor of Villanova, but with a scatter of 8.4 points.  The
Seton Hall road game went to overtime, so if you use the margin at the end of regulation
instead, it brings the average down to 7.9 points, not a significant difference.

Players to Watch
================
Most minutes          Mikal Bridges             guard
Leading scorer        Jalen Brunson             guard
Leading rebounder     Omari Spellman            forward
Most assists          Jalen Brunson             guard
Most steals           Mikal Bridges             guard
Most blocks           Omari Spellman            forward
Most turnovers        Donte DiVincenzo          guard
Most fouls            Eric Paschall             forward

The various prognostications unanimously favor Villanova, and the scatter in the
predicted margins is rather small.  The most favorable for Kansas is Sagarin's
Elo rating method, which is based mainly on winning and losing; margin doesn't
matter.

                                                          31-7           34-4
                       Margin   Predicted   Win Prb      Kansas        Villanova
Predictor              points     Score     percent   Rating   SOS    Rating   SOS 
====================   ======   =========   =======   =============   =============
Sagarin Overall         -3.72   75   79                #  3   #  4     #  1   # 21 
Sagarin Predictor       -3.67   76   79       37.4     #  6   #  4     #  1   # 21 
Sagarin Golden Mean     -3.89   75   79                #  6   #  4     #  1   # 21 
Sagarin Recent Games    -4.00   75   79                #  5   #  4     #  2   # 21 
Sagarin Off-Def Meth    -5.27   77   82                                           
Sagarin Combo           -3.07   76   79                #  3   #  5     #  1   # 19
Sagarin Elo             -0.65   77   78                #  3   #  5     #  2   # 19
Sagarin Blue            -5.21   75   80                #  6   #  5     #  1   # 19
performance adjust      -4.43   75   80            
trend adjust            -7.45   74   81            
Massey                  -6.00   77   83       28.0     #  3   #  2     #  1   #  7 
Pomeroy                 -6.04   72   79                #  8   #  2     #  1   # 16
Greenfield              -5.50   75   80.5              #  7   #  2     #  1   #  5
Dunkel                  -7.00   71   78                # 11            #  2       
Vegas (via Dunkel)      -5.00   75   80                                           
Real Time RPI                                          #  3   #  2     #  2   # 25 
Real Time GAMER                                        #  3   #  2     #  2   # 25 
Dolphin Predictive      -5.44   77   82       32.4     #  8   #  2     #  1   #  4
ESPN BPI                -6.50                 27.1     #  7   #  4     #  1   # 28
Seven Overtimes         -2.00   74   76       43.0     #  3   #  3     #  1   # 35
Whitlock                -4.91                          #  8   #  4     #  1   # 27       
DPPI                                                                              
Colley Matrix           -1.07                          #  3   #  5     #  2   # 33
CBN RPI                                                #  3   #  2     #  2   # 19
LRMC                                                   #  9   #  2     #  1   # 20
common opponents        -8.00                                
====================   ======   =========   =======   ============    ============ 
average                 -4.71 +/- 1.94

Here is Kansas' season, with a potential future opponent, if the Tournament
plays out according to seed:

SITE   OPPONENT                         SCORE    PREDIC    ERROR    PROB.
----   -----------------------------   -------   ------    -----    -----
HOME   #211 Tennessee State             92  56   +26.43    +9.57
NEUT   # 14 Kentucky                    65  61    +3.88    +0.12
HOME   # 88 South Dakota State          98  64   +16.57   +17.43
HOME   #242 Texas Southern             114  71   +28.05   +14.95
HOME   #162 Oakland-Mich.              102  59   +22.78   +20.22
HOME   #119 Toledo                      96  58   +19.64   +18.36
NEUT   # 45 Syracuse                    76  60    +8.18    +7.82
HOME   # 95 Washington                  65  74   +17.33   -26.33
HOME   # 42 Arizona State               85  95   +11.29   -21.29
AWAY   # 67 Nebraska                    73  72    +7.77    -6.77
HOME   #269 Omaha(Neb.-Omaha)          109  64   +30.28   +14.72
AWAY   # 81 Stanford                    75  54    +9.64   +11.36
AWAY   # 34 Texas                       92  86    +3.81    +2.19
HOME   # 12 Texas Tech                  73  85    +6.04   -18.04
AWAY   # 19 TCU                         88  84    +1.98    +2.02
HOME   # 82 Iowa State                  83  78   +16.07   -11.07
HOME   # 43 Kansas State                73  72   +11.30   -10.30
AWAY   #  9 West Virginia               71  66    -1.82    +6.82
HOME   # 27 Baylor                      70  67    +9.42    -6.42
AWAY   # 37 Oklahoma                    80  85    +4.06    -9.06
HOME   # 28 Texas A&M                   79  68    +9.51    +1.49
AWAY   # 43 Kansas State                70  56    +4.94    +9.06
HOME   # 48 Oklahoma State              79  84   +12.27   -17.27
HOME   # 19 TCU                         71  64    +8.34    -1.34
AWAY   # 27 Baylor                      64  80    +3.06   -19.06
AWAY   # 82 Iowa State                  83  77    +9.71    -3.71
HOME   #  9 West Virginia               77  69    +4.54    +3.46
HOME   # 37 Oklahoma                   104  74   +10.42   +19.58
AWAY   # 12 Texas Tech                  74  72    -0.32    +2.32
HOME   # 34 Texas                       80  70   +10.17    -0.17
AWAY   # 48 Oklahoma State              64  82    +5.91   -23.91
NEUT   # 48 Oklahoma State              82  68    +9.09    +4.91
NEUT   # 43 Kansas State                83  67    +8.12    +7.88
NEUT   #  9 West Virginia               81  70    +1.36    +9.64
NEUT   #121 Pennsylvania                76  60   +16.60    -0.60
NEUT   # 26 Seton Hall                  83  79    +5.96    -1.96
NEUT   # 20 Clemson                     80  76    +5.19    -1.19            cumulative
NEUT   #  2 Duke                        85  81    -2.65    +6.65            probability
NEUT   #  1 Villanova                             -3.67             0.374   0.374
NEUT   # 10 Michigan                              +2.65             0.590   0.221

Here is Villanova's season:

SITE   OPPONENT                         SCORE    PREDIC    ERROR    PROB.
----   -----------------------------   -------   ------    -----    -----
HOME   #208 Columbia                    75  60   +29.85   -14.85
HOME   #213 Nicholls State             113  77   +30.21    +5.79
NEUT   #285 Lafayette                  104  57   +31.46   +15.54
NEUT   # 68 Western Kentucky            66  58   +14.93    -6.93
NEUT   # 17 Tennessee                   85  76    +8.59    +0.41
NEUT   #115 Northern Iowa               64  50   +19.76    -5.76
HOME   #121 Pennsylvania                90  62   +23.45    +4.55
AWAY   #107 Saint Joseph's-Pa.          94  53   +15.76   +25.24
NEUT   # 11 Gonzaga                     88  72    +6.46    +9.54
HOME   #132 La Salle                    77  68   +24.88   -15.88
AWAY   # 86 Temple                      87  67   +13.73    +6.27
NEUT   #150 Hofstra                     95  71   +22.39    +1.61
AWAY   #109 DePaul                     103  85   +15.94    +2.06
AWAY   # 25 Butler                      93 101    +6.16   -14.16
HOME   # 52 Marquette                  100  90   +16.28    -6.28
HOME   # 13 Xavier-Ohio                 89  65   +10.08   +13.92
AWAY   # 69 St. John's                  78  71   +11.85    -4.85
AWAY   # 91 Georgetown                  88  56   +14.46   +17.54
AWAY   #130 Connecticut                 81  61   +18.23    +1.77
HOME   # 56 Providence                  89  69   +16.92    +3.08
AWAY   # 52 Marquette                   85  82    +9.92    -6.92
HOME   # 23 Creighton                   98  78   +12.43    +7.57
HOME   # 26 Seton Hall                  92  76   +12.81    +3.19
HOME   # 69 St. John's                  75  79   +18.21   -22.21
HOME   # 25 Butler                      86  75   +12.52    -1.52
AWAY   # 56 Providence                  71  76   +10.56   -15.56
AWAY   # 13 Xavier-Ohio                 95  79    +3.72   +12.28
HOME   #109 DePaul                      93  62   +22.30    +8.70
AWAY   # 23 Creighton                   83  89    +6.07   -12.07           overtime
AWAY   # 26 Seton Hall                  69  68    +6.45    -5.45           overtime
HOME   # 91 Georgetown                  97  73   +20.82    +3.18
NEUT   # 52 Marquette                   94  70   +13.10   +10.90
NEUT   # 25 Butler                      87  68    +9.34    +9.66
NEUT   # 56 Providence                  76  66   +13.74    -3.74           overtime
NEUT   #194 Radford                     87  61   +25.88    +0.12
NEUT   # 49 Alabama                     81  58   +12.80   +10.20
NEUT   #  9 West Virginia               90  78    +5.03    +6.97
NEUT   # 12 Texas Tech                  71  59    +6.53    +5.47
NEUT   #  6 Kansas                                +3.67             0.626
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  • HawkErrant
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7 years 5 months ago #18167 by HawkErrant
KU by 3

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain "Innocents Abroad"
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  • asteroid
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7 years 5 months ago #18173 by asteroid
That would require Kansas to play 6.67 points above expectation, which has happened 13 times this season, which is a 33 percent chance out of 39 games. Note that the Jayhawks just barely missed out on that against Duke, playing 6.65 points above expectation (counting overtime; sometimes I think computer ratings ought to be based on just regulation).
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7 years 5 months ago #18179 by NotOstertag
A note on the Vegas odds (and a review for everyone who already knows this).

Vegas odds are specifically designed for professional bookies to keep the action even. In other words, every bookie NEEDs to bring in enough losing bets to pay off the winners. Bookies take a percentage of the money bet on something as a commission called the "vig". For professional bookies this is their primary source of income. This essentially puts them in a neutral financial position where they'll make money no matter who wins.

In regard to KU/Villanova, the casinos want there to be an even amount bet on each team. To influence this, they'll set up the spread (and predict that Villanova will win by 5 points). If, however, more people continue to bet on Villanova, the oddsmakers might increase the spread to get more money coming in for Kansas. Conversely, if more money is coming in on the Kansas ledger, they'll adjust the spread in the other direction.

It's interesting since computer rankings (sagarin, massey, RPI, etc.) are all based on formulas and use data from past performances to predict the future. Vegas uses capitalism and democracy based on how gamblers "vote" with their money. So while the computer models are very stable over time, Vegas has the ability to reflect realities that don't appear in the data. For example, if 3 of Vilanova's starters fall down the stairs and break their ankles between now and gametime, the computer models won't reflect that, but the Vegas odds would certainly change instantly.

"When I was a freshman, I remember Coach Naismith telling us how important it was to play good defense." - Mitch Lightfoot
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7 years 5 months ago #18210 by USAF Jayhawk
All true, but my experience is that the bookies have a pretty darn good track record at calling the spread. Lot's of stories about how a meaningless shot at the end flipped the spread.

In 2010 KU played in the Las Vegas Invitational. We killed Ohio (98–41) whereas Arizona barely squeaked by their opponent (Utah?). Bookies put the subsequent spread on the championship game at KU-8.5. Tons of KU fans (including yours truly) poured money on KU thinking easy money. KU them gave up an uncontested baseline-to-baseline layup to win 87-79 (that's 8 points for those bad at arithmetic). The collective groan from a thousand KU fans was actually kinda funny. My thought leaving was the the bookies had this down pretty good...

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7 years 5 months ago #18216 by NotOstertag
Bookie darwinism in action. If you're good at it, you call the spread accurately and run a profitable organization. If not, you're out of business in a hurry.

As a "free market capitalist" kind of guy, this doesn't surprise me at all.

"When I was a freshman, I remember Coach Naismith telling us how important it was to play good defense." - Mitch Lightfoot

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