The Providence Friars take on the No. 5 Marquette Golden Eagles in a Big East matchup on Wednesday, February 28. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will air on FS1.
Providence (18-9, 9-7 Big East) find themselves on the bubble in bracketology projections heading into the final weeks of the regular season. The Friars will need to put together some solid Quad 1 wins and have a fairly deep conference tournament run if they hope to go dancing. The Friars are coming off a 79-75 win over Xavier, and have now won three of their last four games. They rank 53rd at KenPom and 18th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Guard Devin Carter is the star of this Providence squad, leading the team in points scored (19.3), rebounds (8.3), assists (3.6), and steals (1.6) per game. The team holds opponents to 41% shooting (34th in the nation) and 45.2% from the two-point range (19th in the nation). On the offensive side, the Friars put up just 74 points per game. Their best wins have come over Creighton and Marquette, and they are 5-6 against Quad 1 opponents.
Marquette (21-6, 12-4 Big East) fell to Providence earlier this season in a beatdown, losing 72-57. They struggled offensively and were out-rebounded by the Friars. Marquette is currently on a two-game winning streak after losing to UConn. Their latest victory came over Xavier with a score of 88-64.
The Eagles rank 13th overall at KenPom. They are led by Kam Jones and Tyler Kolek, who combine to average over 30 points per game. Marquette grabs nine steals per game (16th in the nation) and forces 15.6 turnovers per game (13th in the nation). They average 79.1 points per game (41st in the nation).
Providence vs. Marquette odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Marquette -11.5
Total: 150
Moneyline: Marquette -675, Providence +490
Pick: Providence +11.5
Providence had Marquette’s number the last time they played, and although the Eagles now have home-court advantage, the Friars are desperately playing for a spot in March Madness. Providence brings a strong defensive presence to the court, which they used to stifle Marquette’s scorers the last time these teams met, and I think that the spread is wide enough that the Friars can cover here.