It will be a battle between Big East opponents when the Providence Friars (12-6, 3-2 Big East) welcome the Butler Bulldogs (13-6, 3-3 Big East) to Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The game starts at 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday, January 15, 2018.
Providence opened as a 1-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 147 points.
Butler Bulldogs vs. Providence Friars Betting Prediction
The Bulldogs will be looking for a similar result after defeating the Marquette Golden Eagles in their last contest, 94-83. Butler’s 4.1 turnover percentage was their largest advantage over Marquette, who had a rate of 13.1. The Bulldogs’ mark was better than their season average of 14.3. Butler rallied around Kelan Martin, who was the game’s leading scorer with 37 points on 12-for-17 shooting.
In the Friars’ last matchup, they were victorious over the DePaul Blue Demons, 71-64. The Friars had a fantastic free throw rate of 0.340 (above their season average of 0.282) and held the Blue Demons to an effective field goal percentage of 0.425 (below their season average of 0.490). With 15 points, Isaiah Jackson played well for Providence.
Second-chance opportunities might be scarce for Providence in this showdown. The Friars currently rank 192nd in offensive rebounding percentage (29.0 percent), while Butler ranks 46th in defensive rebounding percentage (75.1 percent).
Butler comes into the contest with records of 13-6 straight up (SU) and 9-9 against the spread (ATS). Vegas is known to set the total low when the Bulldogs are involved, as 66.7 percent of their games have gone over the total.
Providence has a respectable 12-6 SU record, but they struggle covering the spread (5-11 ATS). Coinciding with Butler, Friars games also have a tendency to go over the total (62.5 percent).
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Kamar Baldwin (21.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals) has been great for the Bulldogs while Alpha Diallo (10.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals) has contributed greatly to the Friars.
After splitting two games last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Friars won the last matchup 71-65. The Friars had a better free throw rate (0.308 vs. 0.250) and had a better turnover percentage (12.5 vs. 14.8).
Butler Bulldogs vs. Providence Friars Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Butler, ATS Winner – Butler, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Butler is 1-7 ATS on the road with 5 unders and 3 overs.
Providence is 2-6 ATS at home with 6 overs and 2 unders.
Butler ranks 40th in rebounds allowed per game (31.9) while Providence ranks 170th (36.2).
The Bulldogs rank 29th in steals allowed per game (5.1) while the Friars rank 112th (6.5).
Providence averages 4.1 blocks per game, which ranks 66th in the nation. Butler ranks 89th in blocks allowed per game (3.5).
The Bulldogs rank 151st in three pointers attempted per game (21.5) while the Friars rank 158th in three pointers allowed per game (22.7).
Providence ranks 89th in assists per game (14.8) while Butler ranks 92nd in assists allowed per game (12.8).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Butler is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Providence is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Bulldogs have been outscored by an average of 0.4 points in their last five games. For the season, Butler has defeated opponents by an average of 8.1 points.
During their last five games, the Friars have scored an average of 80.0 points per game (3.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 77.2 points per game (5.0 above their season average).
