Providence and UConn are two names synonymous with the glory days of the Big East. On Thursday, they will match up against one another for the right to go to the semifinals of this year’s Big East Tournament. This Providence vs UConn matchup is the 4 vs. 5 game in this tournament, meaning that the winner could end up facing top-seed Marquette in the next round, a team that both of these squads would want a shot at on Friday.
Providence vs UConn Betting Pick
| ℹ️ The Pick: | Providence +7 |
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This game will be played at Madison Square Garden at 2:30 PM ET on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
Why Bet on Providence:
✅ Providence is 13-7 against the spread during Big East play this season, while UConn is just 10-10 against the spread against conference foes.
✅ These teams split their regular season series, with both teams winning by double digits at home. Here, we should see a much closer game without a home crowd to influence things in either direction.
✅ These teams have also split their last 10 games against one another. In general, this is an evenly matched series, and we should see an evenly matched game on Thursday.
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Providence Friars: A Big Opportunity To Move Up
The Providence Friars come into the Big East Tournament seeded fifth in the conference, after going 21-10 overall and 13-7 in league play. They are projected as a 10-seed by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi going into Thursday’s action. As a result, this Big East quarterfinal matchup represents a huge opportunity for this team to help its seeding prospects with Selection Sunday just a few days away.
To get a win that would help their seeding, the Friars need to do a better job on defense to limit UConn in this game. Providence allows 71.3 points per game, 6.5 points per game more than UConn on the season. If they cannot tighten things up on that end of the floor, Providence could drop this game, and all of a sudden find themselves in more serious bubble conversations.
UConn Huskies: Can They Win the Battle in the Paint?
The UConn Huskies had an up and down season this year. At one point, they were ranked at the top of the college basketball mountain, then suffered a string of losses. But they bounced back nicely at the end of the regular season, winning five straight games to earn the fourth seed in the Big East Tournament. Against fifth seeded Providence, the Huskies will look to win the battle of the bigs against the Friars.
Adama Sanogo can be one of the most dominant bigs in college basketball when he is at his best, averaging 16.9 points per game on the season. But he has only averaged 13.5 points per game against Providence so far this year. Sanogo must outperform Providence’s Bryce Perkins for the Huskies to maximize their chances of winning this game.
Providence vs UConn History in the Big East Tournament
The history of Providence and UConn is a storied one, as they have met 50 times all-time, with most of those meetings coming in Big East play. Entering this Big East Tournament matchup, the Huskies hold a 30-20 advantage in those previous 50 meetings. But they have not seen much of each other in the Big East Tournament.
UConn and Providence have met just four times in the Big East Tournament dating back to 1988. Each team has won two of those conference tournament contests, with UConn winning the most recent of them in 1998.
