Notre Dame vs. Villanova Prediction, Women's College Basketball Odds & Best Bets (11/1)

Fact checked at 8:21 AM ET, Nov 1, 2026

Odds as of 8:20 AM ET, Nov 1, 2026

No. 13 Notre Dame and Villanova open their seasons at 12:00 PM ET at Palazzo dello Sport in Rome, a neutral site, on FS1. We expect a low-scoring game that Notre Dame wins by less than the number, because nine of its 13 players are set to make their college debuts around Hannah Hidalgo and Villanova brings back only two players who averaged more than six points last season. That leads to the Under and Villanova with the points. Neither team has played a game that counts, so all of this rests on last season's numbers, exhibitions and what the coaches have said, and that's thin evidence.

Notre Dame vs. Villanova Predictions

• Pick #1: Under 142.5 (-110)
• Pick #2: Villanova +7.5 (-110)

PICK #1: Under 142.5 (-110)

Villanova's last five games last season all stayed under 142.5. So did four of Notre Dame's last five, with an 83-73 win over Ohio State the exception. Those were last season's rosters. Notre Dame scored 77.1 a game and allowed 65.1, and Villanova scored 71.2 and allowed 61.2. Add the two offenses and you get 148.3. Match each offense against the other team's defense and you get about 137, against a price that implies 52.4%.

The points have to come from new places. Hidalgo's 25.3 return, but Notre Dame's other double-digit scorers are gone, and she and Kelly Ratigan are the only players who have played a game for the Irish. Madison St. Rose averaged 15.8 at Princeton and Anaya Hardy comes from Louisville. Villanova has Jasmine Bascoe (18.9) and Kennedy Henry (9.0) back, but Brynn McCurry, its second-leading scorer at 10.7, is out for the season after knee surgery.

The defenses should be further along. Hidalgo averaged 5.6 steals, and Villanova coach Denise Dillon said, "She's like a free safety out there." After Notre Dame's exhibition, coach Niele Ivey said, "We're really working on trying to apply a lot of pressure defensively." Henry had five blocks and seven rebounds in Villanova's exhibition, when the Wildcats committed six turnovers in the first 11 minutes and trailed FDU 17-14 midway through the second quarter before winning 68-45.

That pressure is also how this loses. Notre Dame forced 27 turnovers that led to 46 points in a 125-59 exhibition win, though against a Division II team, and easy baskets add up fast. Overtime counts toward the total.

PICK #2: Villanova +7.5 (-110)

The same slow start makes 7.5 a lot to lay. Notre Dame should be the better team by the end of the season, but this is the first game for most of its roster, and a game in the low 70s leaves little room to pull away. We're picturing something like a 71-65 Notre Dame win.

Villanova's pieces are steadier. Bascoe averaged 18.9 points and 4.8 assists and was a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST pick for the second straight year. Kelsey Joens and Henry are returning starters, Anna Foley adds 6-3 size from Quinnipiac, and the Wildcats were picked second in the Big East. They allowed 61.2 points last season, 103rd in the country, while Notre Dame's 65.1 ranked 193rd.

Hardy could swing this. She's expected to be Notre Dame's primary post defender, but she sat out the exhibition as a precaution with a lower body issue, and her status hasn't been settled. If she sits, Foley has more room. If she plays, that part of the case goes away and the rest stands.

Hidalgo is the obvious problem. "I don't know if there's really anyone who has learned to contain Hannah Hidalgo," Dillon said. Notre Dame is -425 on the moneyline, and -110 here implies 52.4%. Bascoe had five turnovers in the first two quarters against FDU, Dillon said at media day, "We might be undersized," and Leah Macy's 22 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in Notre Dame's exhibition suggest the new players may be ready, even at that level. Overtime counts here too.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.