The Providence Friars (19-9) and the DePaul Blue Demons (9-18) will clash at Dunkin’ Donuts Center to bring the regular season to an end. Action begins at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 27 and can be seen on CCS.
The Friars are hoping to rebound after their 70-52 loss to Seton Hall on Thursday. Ben Bentil was the game’s leading scorer with 31 points. The Blue Demons, meanwhile, are coming off an 83-75 win against St. John’s on Thursday. Billy Garrett Jr. claimed his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 assists.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Blue Demons winning the first matchup 77-70. Myke Henry put up 27 points and 11 rebounds.
The Friars have gone 19-9 Straight Up (SU) and 13-14 Against The Spread (ATS). The Friars have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 66.5 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 73.3 points per game. Providence is one of the best passing teams in the nation with an average of 15.7 assists per game. Providence’s defense has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game rose to 77.2 during that span, compared to its 69.9 season average. Providence’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation. The Friars allow a .311 opponent three-point field goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the nation. Providence will look to take advantage of the Blue Demons and their propensity to foul. DePaul ranks 339th in the nation in fouls, averaging 22.5 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Blue Demons have 9-18 SU and 9-16-1 ATS records. DePaul has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record.
With the Blue Demons’ last win against Providence, DePaul moved closer to evening up its record against Providence. It now stands at 3-7 SU over their most recent meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. Providence held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, DePaul never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Prov, ATS Winner – Prov
Notes
“Providence is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“Providence is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Providence’s last 7 games “.
“Providence is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Providence is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games at home”.
“Providence is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Providence’s last 6 games at home”.
“Providence is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing DePaul”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Providence’s last 6 games when playing DePaul”.
“Providence is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against DePaul”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Providence’s last 5 games when playing at home against DePaul”.
In its last game, Providence lost by a margin of 18 points. DePaul is 3-6 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Providence has a 4-1 record in blowouts.
On average, Providence has 70.3 possessions per game and scores 1.043 points on each possession. DePaul has both fewer possessions (68.4) and scores fewer points during those possessions (.999).
Providence has an average effective field goal percentage of 46.9%. DePaul is a subpar 4-14 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Providence attempts an average of 21.0 three pointers per game and DePaul attempts 15.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Providence Friars have a winning 12-7 record while the DePaul Blue Demons have a 2-3 record.
Providence ranks 43rd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.33. DePaul is ranked lower at 316th with an A/TO of .81.
The DePaul Blue Demons make an average of 5.0 steals per game. When the Providence Friars give up 4 or more steals, they are a solid 15-8.
