One of the darlings of this 2021-22 college basketball season faces their toughest date to date on one of the biggest stages of the game. It’s Providence vs Kansas in the Sweet 16. Here’s our betting guide.
Friday’s action in Chicago for the Midwest Regional includes No. 4 Providence taking on No. 1 Kansas. The Friars (27-5 overall, 19-13 ATS) have been one of the feel-good stories of this season. Providence won their first Big East championship in school history, over 40 years after being a founding member of the conference. They’re in their first Sweet 16 since 1997 when Pete Gillen was head coach after surviving the popular upset pick, No. 13 South Dakota State in round one, then crushing No. 12 Richmond in the second round.
They’ll face arguably their toughest challenge of the season as they take on No. 1 Kansas (30-6 overall, 18-17-1 ATS) in Chicago. The winner meets the winner of No. 11 Iowa State vs No. 10 Miami (FL) in the Elite 8. Kansas had an easy time with No. 16 Texas Southern in round one. Late turnovers and mistakes cost No. 9 Creighton in their effort to upset the Jayhawks.
Here are my picks and predictions for Friday’s NCAAB matchup between the Friars and the Jayhawks. (Odds via BetMGM)
Providence vs. Kansas Game Info
Date/Time: 03/25/2022, 7:29 EDT
TV: TBS
Location: United Center, Chicago, IL
Providence vs. Kansas Odds Analysis
All the books have the same line entering the Sweet 16 for this matchup. It’s Kansas favored by 7.5. In fact, all the moneylines are the same (-110) except for one. Unibet has the moneyline both ways at -112. For the most part, the line movement has been between 7 and 7.5 with the moneyline pretty much holding steady at -110, so not much change of note.
Similar story in regards to the over/under. All the books have a 141.5 O/U except for PointsBet, which currently is at 143. As far as the sites with a 141.5 O/U, it’s a -110 line for all the books on the over, except for BetRivers, which is at -108. For the U141.5, Unibet is -113, BetRivers is -112, the others are -110.
Providence vs. Kansas Picks
Providence +7.5 (-110)
Over 141.5 (-110)
Providence vs. Kansas Predictions
Providence +7.5 (-110)
Providence’s defense could be a key in them keeping this one close. They have the lineup to swarm the Jayhawks. But this one could come down to free throws and Kansas has five players that average at least 20 minutes per game and are shooting at least 80% from the free-throw line. Kansas also has a top-20 ranking in offensive efficiency, though Providence does rank in the top 80 in defensive efficiency. We’ll take the Friars with the points but the Jayhawks will get by and advance to the Elite 8. Recent trends also favor Providence, who are 19-13 against the spread, while Kansas is barely above .500.
Over 141.5 (-110)
Both teams are shooting about 35% from three. Providence is hoping their strong performance from three against Richmond (12/22) carries over to the Sweet 16. They’ll need it against Kansas. Providence cracked 70 points in each of their last eight regular-season games before a bit of a lull in the Big East tournament. Kansas has hit 70+ in seven straight games and is averaging almost 80 points per game for the season. The over feels pretty good here.