NCAA Tournament: #11 Providence vs. #6 Kentucky Betting Preview and Pick

Can the Kentucky Wildcats get back to their winning ways in March against a Providence Friars team desperate to put together a strong 40 minutes? The Wildcats and Friars will face off on Friday night in a game with plenty of storylines surrounding both programs.

We look at the game and how you can find value in the matchups to prepare you for Friday’s action.

• Location: Greensboro Coliseum – Greensboro, NC
• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

The Friar faithful may have their minds elsewhere this March as the future of Ed Cooley is at a crossroads. Their head coach’s name is popping up everywhere, including as a potential candidate for the Georgetown opening within the Big East. It’s hard to believe it hasn’t been a distraction for Cooley and his players as they prepare for a talented Kentucky team.

• Spread: Providence +4.5 (-110) | Kentucky -4.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Providence +164 | Kentucky -200
• Total: OVER 143.5 (-110) | UNDER 143.5 (-110)

Wildcats head coach John Calipari has had his fair share of drama this season, facing the music for what’s been a disappointing season in Lexington. Although, a deep run can save the season in March, and it all starts with a favorable matchup on Friday night.

Sorting the metrics of these teams since the start of February shows how stark the contrast is between the two. In that span, Kentucky ranks 18th in T-Rank on barttorvik.com, while Providence sits all the way down at 91st. They haven’t been close to equal on the court since early in conference play.

• Kentucky -4.5 (-110)

Kentucky has an overwhelming talent advantage here. There are multiple future NBA’ers on this roster, but putting the pieces together has been a struggle. They seem to be peaking at the right time and should be able to handle a Providence team that is wilting down the stretch.