Seton Hall vs. Providence Prediction and Odds (Pirates a Sneaky Short Favorite on Road)

No. 15 Seton Hall finally kicks off their Big East debut tonight when they travel to No. 21 Providence.

Both teams have won six straight, but Seton Hall has been on the pine since December 12th after three straight cancellations and/or postponements due to teams in the COVID-19 protocol; including what was supposed to be their Big East opener at DePaul last Thursday.

Providence also comes off a postponement from a week ago vs. Georgetown, but have still played several more games as of late compared to their opponent.

Are the oddsmakers concerned about the Pirates' long layoff? How do they rank the Friars' home court advantage?

Here are the latest odds over at WynnBET Sportsbook for tonight's matchup:

Seton Hall vs. Providence Odds, Spread and Total

Spread:

• Seton Hall: -1 (-110)
• Providence: +1 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Seton Hall: -120
• Providence: +100

Total:

• 139 (Over -110/Under -110)

Seton Hall vs. Providence Prediction and Pick

It's been a long-time coming, but the Pirates finally get back on the court after not playing a game in almost two and a half weeks, and I think they come out hungry and aggressive on the road.

Seton Hall has beaten teams like Michigan, Texas and Rutgers this year, with the victory vs. the Wolverines as a "true top five road win." They also are one of three teams in college basketball with multiple wins vs. top 10 teams; Duke and Gonzaga being the other two.

Meanwhile, Providence has played well above expectations this year with their 11-1 start to the season, defeating teams like Wisconsin and No. 20 UConn on the road. Their lone loss of the year was a 58-40 drubbing against Virginia at home.

That may seem like a challenging non-conference schedule and quality wins away from home, but their adjusted schedule rating via KenPom is only 104th in the country. They also rank 11th in KenPom in Luck rating, implying they're likely to regress to the mean sooner rather than later.

While my initial gut feeling was to lean on the under 139, given Seton Hall's potential rust along with their strong, aggressive defense, I'll side instead with the more talented team ready to make another road statement.

PICK: Seton Hall -1 (-110)