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The Richmond Spiders are set to face the Providence Friars. Check out our March Madness odds series, which includes our Richmond Providence prediction, odds, and pick.
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The Richmond Spiders took a bite out of the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Richmond was a 10.5-point underdog despite beating Davidson (an NCAA Tournament team) in the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship game as part of a four-game win streak. Richmond took a 34-28 lead over Iowa early in the second half. The Spiders then hit their one pothole of the day, an 11-0 Iowa run which put Richmond down five points, at 39-34. After that one blip, the 12 seed restored itself with an 11-0 counter-run of its own. Richmond held the lead the rest of the way and pulled one of two 12-over-5 upsets on first-round Thursday.
Richmond has a senior-heavy lineup. Jacob Gilyard is the star, but he is getting plenty of help from his teammates. Richmond struggled to put all the pieces together over the course of the season, but the Spiders caught fire in the Atlantic 10 Tournament and clearly carried their level of play into the Big Dance. This team is playing a lot better than a No. 12 seed. These seniors don't want to go home and are doing the gruntwork on defense needed to advance in the bracket. They contained a potent Iowa offense and showed great attention to detail at that end of the floor. This is something to note when thinking about a Richmond Providence prediction.
The Providence Friars were the obvious upset pick in the Round of 64. The March Madness odds made them a slight two-point favorite over a No. 13 seed, South Dakota State. It's rare that a 4 seed is such a small favorite against a 13 seed, but South Dakota State had not lost since December 15. The Jackrabbits had won 30 games and were very much an in-form team. Providence answered the bell, beating the Jacks by nine and pulling through late in the game, just as they have all season long. Providence lost a few close games to Villanova this season, but other than those two games, Providence has been brilliant in close games. The Friars are 3-0 in overtime games and have had a remarkable knack for consistently handling high-stress late-game moments. This is the big thing to remember when formulating a Richmond Providence pick.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Richmond-Providence odds:
March Madness Odds: Richmond-Providence Odds
Richmond: +2.5 (-110)
Providence: -2.5 (-110)
Over: 133 (-110)
Under: 133 (-110)
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Why Richmond Could Cover the Spread
The Spiders' seniors failed to find a groove all season … until now. This veteran team can match Providence's poise, composure and savvy in a tight, late-game situation.
Why Providence Could Cover the Spread
The spread against South Dakota State did not pay much respect to the Friars. The spread here also doesn't view Providence as the clearly better team … but at some point, a team which continues to win close games has to be regarded as a very good team. Providence is worth trust against a non-heavyweight opponent.
Final Richmond-Providence Prediction & Pick
Providence just has to win by three points to cover. That seems much more likely than not against a 12 seed.
Final Richmond-Providence Pick: Providence -2.5
