#6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence Predictions, Picks & Odds for Friday 3/17

Regular season and conference tournament action has finally come to a close as we now know the field for March Madness. This year’s tournament is bound to be a good one, just like they always are. In an interesting first round matchup in the East region, the #6 Kentucky Wildcats are preparing to take on the #11 Providence Friars.

Thanks to our experts, we have some Kentucky vs. Providence predictions that we want to share with you here. Not only that, but you could use our picks in conjunction with the newest welcome offer from BetMGM Sportsbook.

KENTUCKY WILDCATS VS. PROVIDENCE FRIARS PREDICTION: Over 145.5 (-110 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

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Kentucky Wildcats vs. Providence Friars Basketball Predictions for Friday's NCAA Basketball Clash

The #6 vs. #11 seeded matchups are generally competitive, and we expect the same in this one. We’re eager to share our Kentucky vs. Providence predictions with you, but before we do that, let’s take a glance at the paths these two teams have taken to get to this point.

The Wildcats finished the season with a 21-10 record and have won six of their last eight games played away from Rupp Arena. They were defeated by Vanderbilt in their first matchup of the SEC Tournament in a game where they failed to shoot the ball efficiently as a team. Still, they put up 73 points, which marked the seventh time in their last ten outings that they’ve eclipsed the 70-point threshold.

For the Friars, they come limping into the tournament as losers of three straight. They still finished the season with the same record as their opponent in this one at 21-10, and are just a month removed from defeating a very good Creighton bunch. They too lost in their first game of their respective conference tournament (Big East), but theirs was by just seven points to one of the better teams in the country in UConn.

We now have some solid background on these two squads and we’re almost ready to discuss our official play in our Kentucky vs. Providence predictions. Stick around for both that and information regarding your welcome offer from BetMGM Sportsbook.

Kentucky vs. Providence Picks and Best Bets Featuring Over 145.5

Our Kentucky vs. Providence predictions are going to be a tad unconventional, as we’re actually going to target the point total (over/under) rather than the spread or money line. The statistics and trends back this up as we’ll get into below.

Both teams have rather solid offenses and fairly below-average defenses. That case is more extreme for the Friars but is still prevalent for the Wildcats too. Coming into this one, Providence has allowed at least 72 points in eight straight contests and have allowed teams to shoot 44% from the field against them this season. That’s not great news for Friars fans, who see the Wildcats’ scoring ability bringing a 46% field goal percentage into this matchup.

What Kentucky has failed to do at times is defend. Opponents have scored at least 74 points against this bunch in three of their last five outings and have put up back-to-back games of 79+. The Wildcats aren’t far behind the Friars in field goal percentage allowed either at 42.7%. It’s been less consistent lately, but Providence’s offense can be scary. They average 75.5 points per game on 46% shooting from the floor.

We think this should be a tight matchup, but a somewhat unpredictable one in terms of choosing a winner. That’s why our Kentucky vs. Providence predictions focus on the point total instead. You can ride along with us at BetMGM Sportsbook and bet the over 145.5 at -110 odds.

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Odds, Betting Lines and Spreads for Kentucky vs. Providence Brought to You by BetMGM

We’re all set discussing our Kentucky vs. Providence predictions, so let’s look at the odds at BetMGM Sportsbook ahead of the matchup. Kentucky enters as 4.5-point favorites priced at -110 odds. This makes Providence a 4.5-point underdog which carries that same -110 price. An $11 wager on the Wildcats profits $10 if they win by at least five points, while an $11 wager on the Friars profits $10 if they lose by four points or fewer, or pull off the upset.

The point total is set at 145.5 with -110 odds for both the over and under. The money line odds are listed at -185 for Kentucky and +150 for Providence. No matter which market you prefer to target, be sure to join BetMGM for your $1,000 bonus offer.

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