NCAA Basketball Game Preview: Providence at Connecticut

Feb 22, 2023

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Game: Providence Friars @ UConn Huskies

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Odds: Friars +7.5, Huskies -7.5

Total: 144

The Friars of Providence will board a bus for the brief journey to Storrs, Connecticut, where they will face off against the Huskies of the University of Connecticut tonight. It’s a matchup of AP Top 25 teams as UConn checks in at No. 18 and Providence at No. 20. Interestingly, the Friars beat the Huskies back in early January 73-61 at home. Providence was a 5.5-point underdog.

Tonight marks the second meeting of the two teams that will both likely represent the Big East in this year’s March Madness. Providence is 20-7 overall and 12-4 in the conference. The Friars still have a shot at winning a second straight Big East regular season title. They trail Marquette which is 14-3.

In the first meeting against UConn, Providence shot 37 percent from the floor which just so happens to be exactly what the Huskies shot. The difference was provided from beyond the three-point arc. Providence shot 44 percent (8-of-18) while UConn hit just 5-of-22 (23%) three-pointers. The Friars also got the best of UConn at the free throw line where they hit 83 percent (29-of-35). UConn hit 10-of-19 (53%) from the line. Other than those two areas, the teams were even. They actually had the same number of turnovers (eight) and the same number of rebounds (37).

Providence has been playing with a lot of confidence as of late, going 15-4 SU and ATS over the course of their previous 19 games overall. However, in their most recent five road games, the Friars have a dismal record of 1-4 SU. The Friars are  3-2 ATS in those five games.

UConn has won four of its last five games. Last time out, UConn beat Seton Hall 64-55. It was the third time in the last four games that the Huskies scored 68 points or fewer. UConn shot just 42 percent from the floor against Seton Hall. In the game prior against Creighton, the Huskies shot just 32 percent (21-of-65). UConn lost to Creighton, the Huskies’ only loss in the last five games.

The Huskies play very well at home. They are 13-2 at home this season and they are 18-2 in their last 20 games at Gampel Pavilion. UConn has not been good against the number lately. The Huskies are 5-10 ATS in their last 15 games, but they are 16-11 ATS on the season. Playing at home against Providence, UConn is 4-1 ATS in the last five games.

Both offenses can score. The Friars rank 37th in the nation in scoring (78.62) and the Huskies are right behind them at 38th (78.58). When the two teams meet though, the games tend to be lower-scoring. In the last ten meetings between the two teams, UConn averages 69.6 points a game and Providence scores 67.0. Four of the last five games in the series have seen the total go Under. The total has gone Under in three of the Huskies’ last five games.

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