The No.4-seeded Providence Friars take on the No.5-seeded Butler Bulldogs in the second round of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden. The game begins at 2:30 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10 and will air on FS1.
The Friars beat St. John’s 90-76 in their last matchup. Jalen Lindsey was the game’s high scorer with 30 points on 10-for-16 shooting. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off a 95-74 win against Marquette in their last game. Austin Etherington shot 5-for-8 and led in scoring with 18 points.
Over the last five games, Ben Bentil has really been playing well for the Friars. During that stretch, he has averaged 25.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.2 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers.
It will be a matchup of two heavyweights, as the high-octane offense of the Bulldogs (14th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 116.4) takes the court against the top-notch defense of the Friars (16th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 98.6).
The Friars have emerged victorious in both games against the Bulldogs this year, including a 71-68 victory in their last matchup. Kellen Dunham was a top player in the game with 21 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and six three-pointers.
The Friars enter the game with records of 22-9 Straight Up (SU) and 16-14 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (8-2). Providence has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a superb .733. Providence is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.38. Crossing over to the defensive end of the court, the Friars prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 21st in the nation with 194 total three-pointers allowed (6.0 per game).
On the other side, the Bulldogs have a record of 16-13-1 ATS and 21-9 SU. The Bulldogs are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 32nd in Division I at 1.42. Butler’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .427 from the field.
Providence beat Butler in their most recent meeting this season, bumping its SU record to 5-1 over Butler in their most recent meetings. With a 5-1 record, the Friars also have the advantage ATS. Neither Providence nor Butler has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers) over their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Prov, ATS Winner – Prov
Notes
Butler won its last game by a 21-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Providence is 5-1. Butler is 8-1 in blowouts this season.
The Butler Bulldogs rank 14th for their offensive rating of 116.4. The Providence Friars have a defensive rating of 98.6 (ranked 16th).
The Butler Bulldogs average a field goal percentage of 46.9% this season. The Providence Friars have an underachieving record of 3-5 when opponents have a FG% of 46.9% or greater.
The Providence Friars average 22.0 three point attempts per game, and the Butler Bulldogs attempt 18.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Providence is 15-7 and Butler is 7-2.
Providence ranks 38th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.38, while Butler ranks 32nd with an A/TO of 1.42.
On average, Providence makes 6.9 steals per game. Butler has a winning 10-4 record when it gives up at least 6 steals.
