Bet On College Basketball: Providence vs Notre Dame
Notre Dame won nine straight games in the Big East, but now they have dropped two in a row.
NCAA Basketball Matchup: Providence vs. Notre Dame
7:00 PM EST
College Basketball Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
NCAA Basketball Betting Favorite: Notre Dame -11
Over/Under: 130
Mike Brey’s was upset by St. John’s, and then Georgetown completely dominated them early this week. Providence is toward the bottom of the Big East, but they have beaten some quality teams this year, and they aren’t a team that can be overlooked.
Can Notre Dame get back on track?
Providence knocked off UConn earlier this week. The Friars went on a massive 26-5 run after being down by 15 points in the second half.
It was a big win for the school, and it definitely hurt UConn’s NCAA Tournament chances. Providence has now won two straight since they also beat DePaul 73-71 on the road last Saturday.
This is a team that has made some progress over the past year. Four players average at least 13.5 points per game for the Friars. Vincent Council leads the team by averaging 16.1 points per game, and he also has 216 assists this year. LaDontae Henton is the team’s best outside shooter and the team’s best rebounder. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Providence does give up 69 points per game, so their defense is not great.
At the beginning of the year Tim Abromaitis went down with an injury and it seemed Notre Dame’s season was over.
Instead, Mike Brey had his team slow down the tempo and focus on the defensive end as they did a couple years ago when Luke Harangoady was out, and it has worked beautifully.
The Fighting Irish allow just 61.5 points per game, and opponents shoot only 40.9% from the floor. Jack Cooley is probably the most important player on this team. When Cooley plays well the Fighting Irish rarely lose.
He averages 12 points and 8.9 boards per game. Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins have done a great job in the backcourt for Notre Dame.
Scott Martin isn’t a major scorer, but he does all the little things to help this team win.
Notre Dame is tough to beat at home, and I think they’ll get back on track here. Look for their defense to show up with a great effort Friday night.
Prediction: Notre Dame 70 Providence 56
