The Providence Friars (21-10) battle the No. 14 UConn Huskies (24-7) on Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the Big East Tournament. Tip from Madison Square Garden is set for 2:30 p.m. ET (FS1). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Providence vs. UConn odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Providence, seeded 5th in the tournament, was trampled in its final regular-season game 82-58 by Seton Hall on Saturday while failing to cover as 8-point favorites . It has lost back-to-back games both outright and against the spread (ATS). The Friars are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games and are 18-13 ATS this season.
UConn, the No. 4 seed, beat Villanova 71-59 on the road on Saturday to cover as 2.5-point favorite. It has won 5 games in a row and covered in its last 4. The Huskies are 8-2 outright in their last 10 games and 7-3 ATS to improve to 20-10-1 ATS this season.
The teams split during the regular season, each winning on its home court. Providence won 73-61 as a 5.5-point underdog on Jan. 4 as the 141.5 Under hit, while UConn won 87-69 as a 7.5-point favorite on Feb. 22 while the 142.5 Over cashed.
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Providence vs. UConn odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 11:06 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Providence +245 (bet $100 to win $245) | UConn -330 (bet $330 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Providence +7.5 (-115) | UConn -7.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 144.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Providence vs. UConn picks and predictions
Prediction
UConn 79, Providence 71
Moneyline
PASS.
Simply no point in risking more than 3 times your money on UConn.
Against the spread
LEAN UCONN -7.5 (-105).
The Huskies have been on a hot streak recently winning 8 of their last 10 and covering the spread in 7 of their last 10. They are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games, 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following an outright victory, and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against a team with a winning outright record. The Huskies are also 5-0 ATS this season while playing as 7.5-9.5-point favorites.
Providence is just 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games against a team with a winning outright record and 1-3 ATS in its last 4 games. It is also 0-2 ATS this season while playing as 7.5-9.5-point underdogs.
On neutral floors this season, Providence is 1-2 ATS while UConn is 3-0 ATS.
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Over/Under
BET OVER 144.5 (-115).
In order for the Friars to stay in this game, their offense will have to score consistently. Ranked 36th in the nation for points per game (78.5), they have the capabilities to do that. The Over is 6-0 in the Friars’ last 6 games and 6-0 in their last 6 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600.
For the Huskies, the Over is 5-1 in their last 6 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600. Their offense is also their strength, ranking 29th in the nation in points per game (79).
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