Kentucky vs Providence Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 17 NCAA Tournament Game (Friars Can't Guard Wildcats)

Kentucky vs Providence Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 17 NCAA Tournament Game (Friars Can't Guard Wildcats)

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Kentucky vs Providence Game Info

  • 2022-23 NCAA Tournament Game
  • No. 23 Kentucky (21-11) vs. Providence (21-11)
  • Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
  • Time: 7:10 PM ET
  • Venue: Greensboro Coliseum -- Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Coverage: CBS

Friday, March 17's 2022-23 NCAA Tournament lineup showcases the No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats taking on the No. 11 Providence Friars in an East Region showdown.

Kentucky's SEC Tournament run was cut short due to an 80-73 loss to Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals. On the other hand, Providence was booted from the Big East Tournament quarterfinals with a 73-66 loss against UConn. Even worse is that it was the fourth time the Friars have lost in their last five games.

Which of these East Region competitors has what it takes to reach the next stage of March Madness?

Kentucky vs Providence Odds & Spread

Kentucky enters this contest as a favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7:10 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 144.5 points with both sides available at -110 odds.

Kentucky vs Providence Betting Trends

  • Kentucky has 16 wins in 32 games against the spread this season.
  • The Wildcats are 11-12 as 3.5-point favorites or more.
  • This season, 20 of Kentucky's 32 games have gone over the point total.
  • Providence's record against the spread is 19-13-0.
  • The Friars have an ATS record of 5-3 as 3.5-point underdogs or greater.
  • Out of Providence's 32 games so far this year, 18 have gone over the total.
Kentucky Rank Kentucky AVG Providence AVG Providence Rank
98th 75.1 Points Scored 78.1 36th
119th 68 Points Allowed 71.3 217th
9th 36.2 Rebounds 35.1 28th
3rd 11.8 Off. Rebounds 10.5 29th
287th 6.4 3pt Made 6.7 260th
39th 15.3 Assists 14.7 67th
71st 10.8 Turnovers 11 94th

Kentucky vs Providence Prediction & Pick

Providence became cold at the wrong time. Despite averaging 78.1 PPG this season (No. 28), the Friars have been held 66 or fewer points in each of their last two outings. They haven't been getting any stops on defense, either, allowing an 80.8 PPG clip over their last five outings.

Kentucky's offense is good enough (75.1 PPG, No. 73) to take advantage of Providence's shortcomings. It also helps that the Wildcats scored an average of 79 points in their previous five contests. They also hold the rebounding advantage, averaging 39.0 rebounds per game (No. 13) — 11.8 of which are offensive (No. 2).

While Providence averages a respectable 38.3 RPG (No. 23), that number has dropped to 29.7 over the last three games. It's hard to find an area where the Friars are playing well right now and because of that fact, this is Kentucky's game to lose.

Final Score Prediction: Kentucky: 78 | Providence: 75

Kentucky vs Providence Best Bet

As mentioned above, Providence's defense has been atrocious lately, surrendering over 77.5 points to three of its last four opponents. The Friars just can't get the stops they need and I expect that the be the same come Friday. Kentucky's offense has been clicking and its offensive rebounding superiority ensures that its possessions keep on going.

With the over being a combined 37-27 for both teams this season, there's no doubt that Kentucky is in a perfect position to hit the over on this prop.

Bet: Kentucky — Over 77.5 Points (+156)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. 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.