Providence vs. UConn prediction and odds for Big East Tournament quarterfinals

The No. 5 Providence Friars take on the No. 4 Connecticut Huskies in the Big East Tournament Quarterfinals this afternoon, hoping for a better result than UConn’s dominant 87-69 victory just a couple of weeks ago.

Connecticut is a sizeable favorite, coming in on a five-game winning streak while covering the spread in four straight. The Friars, meanwhile, closed the season on a 1-3 run.

Providence did beat UConn at home in January, holding the Huskies to under 37% from the field. Can the Friars replicate that success or will UConn keep rolling?

Let’s take a look at the odds before jumping into my best bet for the game.

Providence vs. UConn Odds, Spread, and Total

Providence vs. UConn Prediction and Pick

UConn has been one of the country’s best teams since the end of January. The Huskies are 8-1 outright in that stretch and 7-2 against the spread (ATS) in that stretch, showcasing an elite offense AND defense.

Unfortunately for Providence, this is a terrible matchup for the Friars and I expect UConn to win handily once again.

In the Huskies’ victory a couple of weeks ago, they outrebounded the Friars 40-20 while shooting a blistering 47.6% from beyond the arc and over 52% from the field. They notched 15 offensive rebounds, which makes sense given UConn leads the country in offensive rebounding percentage (39%).

The Huskies rank in the top 20 nationally in both opponent two-point shooting percentage and 3-point shooting percentage, and it’s tough to imagine where baskets come from for the Friars unless they catch fire from beyond the arc.

Providence lacks the size to compete with Connecticut down low, so I expect a healthy dose of bully-ball to propel the Huskies to victory.

UConn covered the spread in each of its last four games as a favorite by an average of 8.25 points per game. Expect that trend to continue and back the Huskies to cover.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.