Butler vs Providence Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for December 29 (Friars Earn Crucial Road Conference Victory)

Butler vs Providence Game Info

• 2022-23 NCAA Basketball Regular Season Game
• Butler (8-5, 0-2 Big East) vs. Providence (10-3, 2-0 Big East)
• Date: Thursday, December 29, 2022
• Time: 6:30 PM ET
• Venue: Hinkle Fieldhouse -- Indianapolis, Indiana

The 2022-23 college basketball season continues on Thursday with an exciting matchup between the Providence Friars and Butler Bulldogs. Providence took down Marquette, 103-98, in double overtime on Dec. 20 for its fifth win in a row. Bryce Hopkins erupted for 29 points and 23 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Butler fell short in a 78-56 loss to Creighton last Thursday and is still searching for its first win in Big East play. Chuck Harris was the only Bulldog to score in double digits as he racked up 14 points on a 6-of-12 shooting mark. The team shot just 16.7% (2-of-12) from three-point range.

Butler vs Providence Odds & Spread

• All college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: BUTLER: (-154) | PROV: (+128)
• Spread: BUTLER: -2.5 (-118) | PROV: +2.5 (-104)
• Total: 139.5 -- Over: (-114) | Under: (-106)

Butler enters this contest as small home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 6:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 139.5 points, which is about average compared to Thursday's projected totals.

Butler vs Providence Betting Trends

• Butler's record against the spread is 7-6-0.
• As 1.5-point favorites or more, the Bulldogs are 7-2 against the spread.
• There have been six Butler's games (out of 13) that went over the total this season.
• Providence is 7-6-0 against the spread this season.
• As a 1.5-point underdog or more, the Friars have one win ATS (1-3) this season.
• Providence has played 13 games this year, and nine of them have gone over the total.

Butler Rank	Butler AVG		Providence AVG	Providence Rank
198th	71.3	Points Scored	81.3	30th
81st	64.8	Points Allowed	69.6	210th
337th	28.8	Rebounds	36.6	42nd
353rd	5.5	Off. Rebounds	11.3	27th
253rd	6.8	3pt Made	6.2	294th
181st	13.6	Assists	15.5	68th
88th	11.5	Turnovers	12.2	156th

Butler vs Providence Prediction & Pick

The Friars couldn't have asked for a better start in conference play. They have scored 174 points and out-rebounded their opponents by a margin of +20 across two Big East contests. Providence's rebounding prowess shouldn't be surprising as it ranks third in total rebounding rate (57.1%) this year.

Butler ranks 250th in total rebounding rate (48.1%), so it's hard to see the Bulldogs creating many second chance opportunities through the offensive boards in this one. Providence has won four straight games against Butler and owns an all-time record of 16-5 against its conference rival.

Keep in mind Butler is also 1-8 straight up in its last nine games against a Big East opponent. I'll back Providence on the road.

Final Score Prediction: Butler: 72 | Providence: 76

Butler vs Providence Best Bet

Backing the over has some intriguing value in this game, but backing the Friars as a small underdog is the best way to go. Providence is a reliable 5-0 against the spread (ATS) in its last five games and 7-0 ATS in its last seven games played in December. Big East play is where the Friars step their game up.

Providence has lost to Butler by more than 2 points in just two of the last 10 head-to-head matchups. The Bulldogs have lost each of their first two conference games by 22 points and cannot seem to find their groove on offense. A bad shooting stretch in the second half should help the Friars cover.

Bet: Providence Firars +2.5 (-104)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.