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The Villanova Wildcats take on the Providence Friars. Our college basketball odds series has our Villanova Providence prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Villanova Providence.
The Providence Friars have a chance to win consecutive Big East Conference championships. They aren't in a preferred position, but they still have a chance. Providence is 11-4, tied with Xavier and Creighton for second place heading into Saturday's action. The Friars trail 13-3 Marquette by 1.5 games and can move one game back with a win here. One game back with two full weeks left in the regular season? That's more than doable for coach Ed Cooley's team, which has a very manageable closing schedule — not necessarily easy, but a slate which offers a reasonable chance of success.
Providence goes to Connecticut after this game, but then closes with Georgetown, a home game against Xavier, and a home game against Seton Hall. If Providence can beat Villanova, it would set up a situation in which a win at UConn would give the Friars a path to a 16-4 Big East record, which could be enough to win another Big East title.
Here are the Villanova-Providence college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
College Basketball Odds: Villanova-Providence Odds
Villanova Wildcats: +4.5 (-102)
Providence Friars: -4.5 (-120)
Over: 137.5 (-110)
Under: 137.5 (-110)
How To Watch Villanova vs. Providence
TV: Fox
Stream: Fox Sports App
Article Continues Below
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET, 1:30 p.m. PT
*Watch Villanova-Providence LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Villanova Could Cover The Spread
The Providence Friars have a good team, but they don't have a dominant team. Villanova was able to play Providence on even terms in Philadelphia a few weeks ago. The game went down to the wire, and even though Providence won, Villanova showed that it could play one of the top teams in the Big East without backing down. We have seen Villanova play the top of the Big East very competitively in recent weeks. The Providence game was one example. Villanova led Marquette by one point with under five minutes left in regulation in Milwaukee before the Golden Eagles rallied to beat the Wildcats. Villanova has been knocking on the door of a huge Big East win with Justin Moore back in the lineup (after an injury sidelined him earlier in the season) and Cam Whitmore playing so well. This team is markedly better than it was a month and a half ago.
Why Providence Could Cover The Spread
The Friars are defending Big East champions, and they're still unbeaten at home. The fact that Providence took Villanova's very best punch a few weeks ago in Philadelphia but was still able to win by five points shows how resourceful and resilient the Friars truly are. If they could win by five on the road, they should certainly be able to win by five at home. If they do win by five, they will cover the spread. Chances are they can win by eight or nine. Ed Cooley is known throughout the Big East as an elite coach; it is uncertain if casual sports fans and casual college basketball fans in other areas of the country appreciate just how great a job Cooley has done with the Providence program over the past few years. He lost his starting lineup from last season's Sweet 16 team and has found the right pieces in the transfer portal while elevating his bench players into capable starters. This team figures out how to win, and at home, it hasn't lost this season. That's hard to bet against.
Final Villanova-Providence Prediction & Pick
Providence is so hard to beat at home, and the Friars will not be caught off guard by an improving Villanova squad. Take Providence.
Final Villanova-Providence Prediction & Pick: Providence -4.5
