March Madness Underdog Pick of the Day (Richmond sends Providence Packing)

The first round of this year's NCAA men's tournament has been as wild as ever.

Saint Peter's, out of the MAAC, pulled off the biggest outright upset so far, defeating No. 2 Kentucky Thursday evening as a 15-seed; becoming just the 10th team since 1985 to defeat a 2-seed in the Round of 64.

The Peacocks take on No. 7 Murray State today as 9-point underdogs at WynnBET Sportsbook and are +350 on the moneyline to make it to the Sweet 16. While I certainly didn't see an upset on UK coming, I loved the way Shaheen Holloway's team was playing entering the tournament, and thought they could scare the Wildcats for just a little bit.

As tempted as I am to let it ride with the Peacocks again against a potentially exhausted Murray State squad that played in overtime Thursday, there's another underdog on today's card I like much better to not only cover, but win as well.

Which March Madness Underdog will Win Outright Today?

The Richmond Spiders take on the Providence Friars early this evening in Buffalo in today's 12-4 matchup, as the Spiders come in as 3-point dogs and +130 on the moneyline at WynnBET Sportsbook.

A close game is expected, and rightfully so. Both of these teams have played in these grind-it-out battles all season long, with the Friars' being one of the best in college basketball in single possession games. Via TeamRankings, Providence has a 84.6% winning percentage in close games this season.

However, the Friars have also been the beneficiary of the ball bounces their way more than anyone else in the sport as well. They hold a historic Luck ranking over at KenPom, ranking first in the country at +.193. Samford, the No. 2 ranked team's Luck ranking is a full .031 points below them!

The Spiders' are on a remarkable run, having won their last five games through the A-10 conference tournament, as well as a stunning upset of 5-seeded Iowa on Thursday, limiting one of the hottest offenses in college basketball to just 63 points.

Over their last five games they have stepped up their game on the defensive side of the ball, ranking in the 92nd percentile in Defensive Rating after being at 51st percentile throughout the season. They also rank amongst the best in college basketball at free throw attempts, after ranking 58th this season.

Contrast this with Providence, who rank in the bottom half of the league in offensive and defensive rating over their last five games, while also ranking in the bottom 10 in effective field goal percentage.

For as much success as Providence has had in close games, Richmond has won their last three by four points or less, including four of the last five. The Friars have been due for regression all season long, and on a short turnaround against a veteran-laden team, this is the day it happens.

PICK: Richmond +130

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