The No. 12 seed Richmond Spiders (24-12) and No. 4 seed Providence Friars (26-5) meet Saturday for a Midwest Region second-round game of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Richmond vs. Providence odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
The Spiders picked up a 67-63 win as 9.5-point underdogs over the Big Ten Tournament champion Iowa Hawkeyes in their opening game as the Under cashed. UR has covered four consecutive games the Under has hit in its last two outings.
The Friars ended up with a 66-57 win over South Dakota State, fending off the 30-win Jackrabbits in their opener. Providence snapped an 0-2 ATS mini skid in the process.
See also: Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports
Richmond vs. 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 at 9:18 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Richmond +130 (bet $100 to win $130) | Providence -160 (bet $160 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Richmond +2.5 (-105) | Providence -2.5 (-120)
- Over/Under (O/U): 133.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
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Richmond vs. Providence odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Providence 67, Richmond 61
Money line
PROVIDENCE (-160) won the Big East regular-season title, but the books continue to give it little respect. The Friars beat South Dakota State in a low-scoring opening-round win, but the books still don’t trust Providence. Take advantage of the reasonable price.
Against the spread
PROVIDENCE -2.5 (-120) isn’t going to be headed home.
It catches a break facing the 12th seed, rather than meeting the Big Ten tournament champs from Iowa. It’s uncertain why the books continue to disrespect Providence, a team that is 4-1 ATS in its last five against winning teams. Maybe it’s because Richmond is on a heater, but the body of overall work for the Friars is way more impressive.
Over/Under
The UNDER 133.5 (-107) is the way to go. The trends point to the Under, as both teams have had low-scoring affairs lately.
The Under is 5-0 in the past five NCAA Tournament games for Providence and, more importantly, is 5-1 in its last six neutral-site games.
The Under is 13-4-1 in the past 18 games overall for Richmond while going 3-0-1 in its past four NCAA Tournament battles — including its first-round win.
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