Providence vs. UConn Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Wednesday, Jan. 31 (Trust 2 elite defenses)
After a four-game conference losing streak, Kim English is starting to turn around his first season leading the Friars. Providence has won three straight games, with an impressive 67-63 road win over Seton Hall sandwiched between wins over the bottom two teams in the Big East (DePaul, Georgetown). Providence won the most important game on its schedule Saturday against former head coach Ed Cooley, so is this a let-down spot on the road against the No. 1 team in the nation?
No. 1 UConn has been a juggernaut this season, specifically at home. It doesn’t matter if it’s been in Hartford (XL Center) or on campus in Storrs (Gampel Pavilion), UConn has swarmed opponents. UConn is 11-0 at home this season, winning 10 times by double figures. Most recently, the Huskies dominated Xavier, 99-56. Can Providence hang around?
Here’s the betting preview of Wednesday’s Big East battle with a best bet.
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Providence vs. UConn odds, spread and total
Providence vs. UConn betting trends
- Providence is 11-8-1 ATS this season
- UConn is 12-8 ATS this season
- Providence is 5-1 ATS as an underdog this season
- UConn is 12-7 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 7-13 in Providence games this season
- The OVER is 10-9-1 in UConn games this season
Providence vs. UConn how to watch
- Date: Wednesday, Jan. 31
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Gampel Pavilion
- How to watch (TV): FS1
- Providence record: 14-6 (5-4 Big East)
- UConn record: 18-2 (8-1 Big East)
Providence vs. UConn key players to watch
Providence
Devin Carter: Providence’s offense took a step back after standout Bryce Hopkins suffered a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 3. Leading the offense now is Devin Carter, a 6-foot-3 junior guard who has moved to No. 2 in the Big East in scoring at 18.6 points per game while shooting 49.2% from the field. Carter is averaging 23.6 points over the last six games and came up big against Georgetown with a late scoring flurry to help the Friars avoid an upset.
UConn
Donovan Clingan: The 7-foot-2 center missed nearly a month with a foot injury and slowly worked his back into the rotation. In two games off the bench, Clingan scored 12 points in 39 minutes. Then, after a week off, Clingan returned to the starting five against Xavier and turned in 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting, 8 rebounds, and a pair of blocks.
Providence vs. UConn prediction and pick
UConn has been so dominant at home this season that it’s hard to pick against them, even with a double-digit spread. However, Providence is 5-1 ATS as an underdog this year, 4-0 in the Big East with covers against Marquette, Creighton, St. John’s, and Seton Hall.
Keep an eye on the total in this matchup. UConn’s defense suffocates opponents at home, holding four of its five opponents to 65 points or less. They get a matchup against a Providence offense that is not as explosive without Hopkins and ranks No. 135 in KenPom, No. 232 in 3-point shooting, No. 245 in turnover percentage, and No. 232 in free-throw shooting.
The Friars’ defense is good enough to travel anywhere and ranks No. 10 in efficiency. UConn is No. 5 in 2-point shooting but Providence defends well inside the arc (No. 11). UConn is No. 5 as an offense in effective field goal percentage, but Providence is No. 14 in that category as a defense. It’s strength-on-strength when the Huskies have the ball, but UConn plays at the No. 330 tempo in the nation.
These defenses rank No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the Big East in scoring and opponents’ field goal percentage. Trust the defenses and go under a total that looks too high.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.