The No. 10 Villanova Wildcats (19-6, 12-3 Big East) meet the No. 9 Providence Friars (21-2, 11-1) in a Tuesday top-10 showdown. The contest at the Dunkin Donuts Center is slated to tip off at 8 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Villanova vs. Providence odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Villanova defeated Seton Hall 73-67 Saturday and has won three straight games and six of its last seven. The Wildcats shot just 41.7% from the field, but they prevailed by posting a plus-6 in the turnover exchange and hauling down their most offensive rebounds (13) since Jan. 1. A usually strong shooting VU squad has posted sub-47% figures in five of its last six games.
The Friars snuck by Big East 10th-place DePaul 76-73 in a Saturday overtime contest at home. Providence essentially trailed for 38 minutes before leveling the score and eventually winning in OT. Providence kept alive a win streak with the victory: The Friars have won eight in a row since losing their only Big East game Jan. 4 at Marquette.
Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Villanova at Providence odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 7:25 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Villanova -205 (bet $205 to win $100) | Providence +165 (bet $100 to win $165)
- Against the spread (ATS): Villanova -4.5 (-108) | Providence +4.5 (-112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 132.5 (O: -107 | U: -115)
Get some action on this matchup at Tipico Sportsbook, a trusted, global sports-betting leader and Sportsbook Wire’s official betting partner.
Place your legal, online sports bets in CO and NJ at Tipico now. IA, Tipico is coming to your state soon! New customer offer: Deposit $10 or more, get $100 in instant bet credits! 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!
Villanova at Providence odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Villanova 67, Providence 61
Money line
PASS for now, but consider a line watch. Villanova sports the much better offense, and a price south of -190 is worth a look.
Against the spread
The Friars are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games. The favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last seven VU-PC series games.
The Wildcats’ ability from the perimeter and their frequency of launching 3’s are key while being effective on the offensive glass, blind spots for this Friars squad.
Providence also hasn’t played as tough a schedule as Villanova.
TAKE VILLANOVA -4.5 (-108).
Over/Under
These are two of the slowest-tempo fives in an otherwise fast league. The Under 132.5 (-115) is a slight lean, but there are enough cross signals to keep this one out of profit’s reach. AVOID.
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and, soon, IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]