Kentucky (21-11) continually has one of the most talented teams in the country, but that doesn’t always equate to NCAA Tournament success as evidenced by the 85-79 defeat against St. Peter’s as -18 point favorites in the first round one year ago to the day. Providence (21-11) tries to make it two early exits in a row for UK, but the Friars have also lost four of their last five.
Before Betting on Providence vs Kentucky
The Wildcats couldn’t get past the first round last year despite a dominating 30 point, 16 rebound performance from eventual Naismith Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe. Tschiebwe averaged 16.4/13.1 as he returned to Lexington this season, but we’ve seen that even when Tschiebwe is at his best it doesn’t guarantee a Wildcats win.
Kentucky finished the regular season with wins in five of their last six games, but it was Vanderbilt that proved to be their nemesis, beating UK on March 1st and then eliminating them from the SEC Tournament. The Friars also lost in their first conference tournament game though, losing 73-66 to UConn to make it three straight losses coming into March Madness.
Even though these two teams have played just twice and not since 2014, there is still a connection for Friday’s game considering the Friars’ leading scorer Bryce Hopkins (16.1 ppg) played for Kentucky last season but only managed 6.7 minutes/game. Hopkins is going to be extra motivated for this meeting.
Friars vs Wildcats NCAAB Offshore Betting Odds
| Offshore Sportsbook | Moneyline | Total | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | Providence (2.60) | UK (1.55) | 143 | Providence +4 (1.95) | UK -4 (1.87) |
| Bovada | Providence (2.60) | UK (1.54) | 143.5 | Providence +4.5 (1.91) | UK -4.5 (1.91) |
| BetUS | Providence (2.55) | UK (1.56) | 143 | Providence +4 (1.91) | UK -4 (1.91) |
| SportsBetting.ag | Providence (2.60) | UK (1.55) | 143 | Providence +4 (1.95) | UK -4 (1.87) |
| Pinnacle | Providence (2.76) | UK (1.50) | 143 | Providence +4 (1.95) | UK -4 (1.93) |
| MyBookie | Providence (2.53) | UK (1.53) | 143 | Providence +4 (1.91) | UK -4 (1.91) |
Providence vs Kentucky Prediction & Pick
Is Kentucky on upset alert for this first round matchup? Providence limped into the postseason and the Wildcats will not take this game lightly considering their early exit as -18 point favorites in last year’s March Madness round of 64.
