Good morning college basketball world! Conference tournament time is fully underway as the madness of March has finally arrived with numerous enticing matchups from around the country scheduled to tip-off Thursday. Whether the action is taking place in New York, Las Vegas, and even Kansas City, the action-packed tournaments are in full swing and have yet to disappoint. In this Big East showdown between the Butler Bulldogs and the Providence Friars, the stakes are high and the betting odds are in play! Welcome to our college basketball odds series, which includes our Butler-Providence prediction, odds, and pick.
Coming into this quarterfinal matchup, Butler is coming off an improbable and thrilling win over Xavier in OT, 89-82. The Bulldogs have been a team that has struggled for a majority of the year, as their 14-18 overall record was good enough to finish ninth out of eleven teams in the Big East Conference. On Wednesday evening, Butler faced an Xavier squad that was 18-12 prior, with bold wins against schools such as UConn and Ohio State during the regular season. However, the Musketeers underestimated the Bulldogs' powerful bite during round one of the Big East Tournament, as Butler outlasted their conference foe in a game that saw both teams shoot the rock rather poorly from three-point land and from the floor in general. This Butler team is not afraid to get their hands dirty, and they appear to thrive when their backs are up against the wall.
The Friars enter the quarterfinals coming off a restful Wednesday thanks to their impressive regular season campaign that saw them lock up the number one seed throughout the conference tournament. Providence showcased their lethalness against some of the nation's best, compiling a 4-2 record against the AP Top 25 and only managing to lose one home game all year long. After suffering a gut-wrenching loss to a talented Villanova team, the Friars are desperately attempting to get back in the win column and fine-tune some of their play right before the NCAA Tournament. Many college basketball experts have penciled in the Friars as a serious threat to make a deep run in the big dance, but first, Providence must not overlook a scrappy Butler bunch starving to shake up the Big East Tournament.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Butler-Providence odds:
College Basketball Odds: Butler-Providence Odds
Butler: +7.5 (-110)
Providence: -7.5 (-110)
Over: 127 (-110)
Under: 127 (-110)
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Why Butler Could Cover the Spread
Entering Thursday's big-time matchup, Butler is hoping that they got their shooting woes out of the way and to ride the momentum from Wednesday's dramatic overtime win against the Friars. The Bulldogs shot only 27% from downtown and will need to be more effective in that category if they want any sliver of a chance. A repeat of their stellar shooting display in a narrow one-point loss against Providence on Feb. 20th, a game where the Bulldogs actually had a 19 point lead, will be much needed. In order for Butler to shock the world, they will need another epic performance from shifty guard Chuck Harris, who had one of his best games of the season against Xavier by dropping 29 points on 12/20 shooting from the field. Harris is a walking bucket when called upon, and there's no doubting his will to overcome the impossible when his team is counting on him the most. Another possible reason Butler will cover the spread? Look no further than 6'7 senior forward Bryce Nze, who physically punished Xavier by recording an outstanding double-double performance of 15 points and snagging 15 rebounds. The Dawgs are 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
Why Providence Could Cover the Spread
It's quite simple. Outside of Villanova, Providence has been one of the best teams in not only the Big East but the entire country. Two of their four losses have come against Nova in hard-fought matchups, and it is difficult to find a more well-balanced contending team than the Friars. During their contest against Butler on Jan. 23rd, the Friars had their way from behind the arc, scorching the Bulldogs with a 41% mark from deep. Center Nate Watson will be a name that Butler has to find a way to limit his scoring chances, as the Friars big man has accounted for at least seven games of 20+ scoring performances, including 22 points in his last game against the Bulldogs. As extremely challenging as it is for any team to defeat another three times throughout a season no matter their prestige, Providence has to put the pressure on the Butler half-court offense and force them to turn the ball over, something that Butler has limited for a majority of the college basketball season. The Friars are 5-1 ATS in their previous six matchups.
Final Butler-Providence Prediction & Pick
Unfortunately for Butler, their season will conclude at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, and losing a third time to the Friars will not sit well with many. The Bulldogs do not have the athletes and amount of statistical production to give Providence a run for their money in 2022. If it makes them feel any better, Butler's win against Xavier was an incredible win, and it should serve as a positive note heading into the off-season. Expect one of the better bench players in all of America, guard Jared Bynum, to impose his will with his outstanding 15.6 PPG. Coach Cooley's troops should take care of business in this one and cover the spread as well.
Final Butler-Providence Prediction & Pick: Providence -7.5 (-110)
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