The Providence Friars (4-0) and Evansville Aces (3-0) will face off at Titan Gym for this game. The game gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Thursday, Nov. 26 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Friars come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, topping NJIT 83-76 on Monday. Kris Dunn was a key piece, recording 22 points and 10 rebounds to notch his second double-double of the season. The Aces, meanwhile, are coming off a 93-88 win against Belmont on Saturday. Egidijus Mockevicius had a good game and claimed his third double-double of the season, registering 26 points and 14 rebounds.
Providence is a small two-point favorite at home against Evansville. The matchup currently has a 149-point Over/Under (O/U). The Friars have gone 4-0 Straight Up (SU) and 2-2 Against The Spread (ATS). The Friars, sporting the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (2.12), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, teams have to fight for three-pointers against the Friars, who allow the fewest opponent three-pointers made in the nation at 37 (9.0 per game).
On the other side, the Aces haven’t been a good bet ATS so far with a record of 0-2 to go along with a 3-0 SU record. They sport the 40th-ranked scoring offense in the country, averaging 85.7 points per game. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Aces. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the country at 1.88. The Evansville defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .446 shooting from the field to its opponents.
Providence and Evansville have not played one another in a regular season matchup in recent years.
Predictions: SU Winner – Prov, ATS Winner – Evan, O/U – Over
Notes
Evansville averages 85.7 points per game (ranked 40th). Providence, on the other hand, allows 68.0 points per game (ranked 113th).
The Providence Friars have the best defense in the country, giving up just 97.3 points per 100 possessions. The Evansville Aces have the 48th-ranked offense, scoring 116.6 points in the same number of possessions.
Providence has an average field goal percentage of 43.8%. Evansville is undefeated (1-0) when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Providence Friars and the Evansville Aces both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Providence is 205th and 188th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Evansville ranks 99th and 42nd in these categories.
The Providence Friars are among the best in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.12 (ranked second). Ranking 14th, the Evansville Aces have an A/TO of 1.88.
Evansville makes 5.7 steals per game. In games where it allows 5 or more steals, Providence is undefeated at 3-0.
