On Friday afternoon, betting lines showed Villanova (15-5 straight up, 13-7 against the spread) as an 8.5-point home favorite against Providence in an anticipated matchup. The game’s total is set at 156.5 points, with Providence’s money line resting between +320 and +350.
The game will kick off at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on Fox Sports 1, making it a key evening attraction for college basketball fans. The recent trend indicates that the ‘over’ has been a strong bet in Providence’s recent games, hitting nine times in their last 12 contests, which lifts their overall record to 15-6 for overs. A notable exception was their previous contest against Georgetown, where they lost by a narrow margin, with a final score of 81-78, resulting in a total that fell short of 159.5 points—a figure that stands out against tonight’s total of 156.5.
Villanova has also experienced success with overs, boasting a 6-1 record in their last seven games. In their earlier meeting with Providence on January 13, Villanova edged out with an 88-82 victory, contributing to a total of 170 points that exceeded the current total line.
Providence may face challenges without star player Justin Edwards, who is listed as ‘questionable’ for the game. Edwards averages 17.2 points and 3.3 assists, and has missed the last five games, which resulted in high-scoring matchups with combined totals reaching as high as 209 points.
Offensively, Providence stands strong, ranked #22 in scoring with an impressive average of 88.8 points per game and #14 in free-throw percentage at 78%. However, they struggle defensively, positioned at #346 out of 365 Division-1 teams in scoring defense, averaging 86.1 points allowed per game. This has contributed to an average of 174.9 combined points per game this season, highlighting the potential for another high-scoring affair.
Given these trends and statistics, a strategic wager of 1.1 units to win one unit on the ‘over’ 156.5 points appears promising as both teams gear up for an exciting showdown.