#6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence Predictions, Best bet & Odds: Friday, 3/17

March Madness started with plenty of upsets Thursday, as #15 Princeton took down #2 Arizona and #13 Furman upset #4 Virginia with just a few seconds left in the game. There are 16 more matchups today, and one of the best games on the slate features the Providence Friars taking on the Kentucky Wildcats in Greensboro.

Both Providence and Kentucky are 21-11 this season, and there is little separating both teams. However, our experts still broke the game down and made Kentucky vs. Providence predictions. Let’s dive into their analysis with odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.

KENTUCKY VS. PROVIDENCE PREDICTION: Over 143.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

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#6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence Predictions for Friday's NCAAB Tournament Game

The Friars and Wildcats will meet Friday night in the NCAA Tournament First Round, and neither team had a great ending to their regular seasons. Providence lost two games in a row to end the year and was eliminated from the Big East Tournament by UConn (73-66). Kentucky looked like they were getting hot at the right time, but they dropped two of their previous three games, with both losses coming against Vanderbilt.

Kentucky has the capability to make a deep tournament run, but Providence is one of the stronger #11 seeds, so they got a tough draw. The Friars have beaten Marquette, UConn and Creighton this year, so the Wildcats need to play their best basketball to advance. For that to happen, they’ll need to score early and often.

Providence allowed 71.3 points per game (221st in the country), so this isn’t your typical Ed Cooly team. They do play with intensity, but we think Kentucky will have no issues scoring. The Wildcats allow 68.0 points per contest (120th in the country), and Oscar Tshiebwe should stop a lot of Providence’s paint offense. However, it may be hard to slow the Friars down on the offensive glass, as they grab 32.8% of their misses (19th in the country).

#6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence NCAAB Picks and Best bet

The game total for this one is set at 143.5, and our experts’ best bet from their Kentucky vs. Providence predictions is for there to be Over 143.5 points (-110 at DraftKings). Although Providence hasn’t scored at an extremely high rate, they rank 16th in adjusted offensive efficiency. Meanwhile, Kentucky ranks 14th in adjusted offensive efficiency and should have no issues scoring against the Friars.

Seven of Kentucky and Providence’s previous 10 games finished over the total, so both squads have been playing up and down since February. We anticipate plenty of points in Friday’s matchup, as we think the Friars will have no answer for Oscar Tshiebwe, as he will have extra motivation after exiting the tournament to St. Peter's in the first round last season.

However, Kentucky could struggle to slow down a Providence lineup that has five players averaging double figures. Therefore, we anticipate a high-scoring affair, so the best bet from our experts’ Kentucky vs. Providence predictions is Over 143.5 points (-110 at DraftKings).

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#6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence College Basketball Odds Provided via DraftKings Sportsbook

Kentucky is a -4 favorite with -115 odds against Providence, who is a +4 underdog with a -105 price at DraftKings Sportsbook. A $115 bet on Kentucky -4 profits $100 if they win by five or more, while a $105 wager on Providence +4 returns $100 of winnings if they pull off the upset or lose by fewer than four points. If the Wildcats win by four exactly, both sides of the point spread push, and all wagers are refunded.

The game total (over/under) is 143.5; both the over and the under carry -110 odds. An $11 wager on the over returns $10 of winnings if there are 144 points or more, while an $11 bet on the under profits $10 if there are 143 points or fewer.

Our experts think there will be 144 points or more, but you can fade or follow any of their Kentucky vs. Providence predictions if you join DraftKings Sportsbook today.

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