College Basketball Odds: Latest On Providence Amid Historic Season
Providence won its first Big East regular-season title
Providence men's basketball continued its historic season Saturday, claiming its first Big East regular-season title with a 72-51 domination of Creighton at Dunkin' Donuts Center.
The Friars, who improved to 24-3, entered the night ranked No. 11. They now have won 14 games in conference play, a program record. Saturday's victory also marked their first 24-win season since 2015-16.
Providence has one game remaining in the regular season, and it should be a test. The Friars will wrap the regular season Tuesday on the road against Villanova -- to whom Providence dropped a tight contest back on Feb. 15.
The Friars are a lock to make the NCAA tournament via an at-large bid if the Big East tournament doesn't work out in their favor -- though winning the conference tournament would be a huge win for bettors who took the Friars at 20-to-1 to win the Big East tournament back in November.
To understand how far the Friars have come, it's worth noting Villanova was the favorite (-105) back then.
What about further down the line?
Providence still is considered a long shot for an NCAA title, listed at 80-to-1 at DraftKings Sportsbook. That means a $100 bet would profit $8,000. The Friars have shorter odds to make the Final Four, at 15-to-1.
While the Friars may be the best story in college basketball this season, perennial powerhouses top betting boards. Gonzaga is the favorite at +350, while Arizona and Kentucky are +700. Purdue (+900), Auburn (+1200) and Kansas (+1200) round out the top five.
Of course, anything can happen on a basketball court in March.
