Richmond vs. Providence Odds
| Richmond Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -105 | 134 -110o / -110u | +146 |
| Providence Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -115 | 134 -110o / -110u | -176 |
It seemed the national perception was leaning toward an Iowa versus South Dakota State matchup in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. But March Madness had other plans, as both of those teams were sent packing after the opening round.
Providence will now meet Richmond in the second round after both programs pulled off impressive victories.
Ed Cooley had his program embrace the noise of everyone selecting the popular underdog in South Dakota State. Providence came out inspired on the defensive end of the floor and proved its critics wrong, something its done all season long.
Now the Friars match up against a Richmond squad that has had its season on the line the last five games. The Spiders needed to win the Atlantic 10 Tournament to earn a ticket to the Big Dance, and did just that defeating Rhode Island, VCU, Dayton and Davidson.
Richmond was able to hold Iowa to 21% on 29 attempts from behind the arc in its first-round matchup.
This is expected to be another tight game between two veteran-led programs.
Richmond Spiders
Richmond pulled off the first of the annual 12-seed upsets Thursday afternoon. The Spiders were able to shut down the outside shooting of Iowa, holding the Hawkeyes to 21% from deep.
Richmond has an experienced unit, starting four seniors and one junior. The Spiders have an offensive trio that averages double-figures. Tyler Burton leads the group, putting up 16 points while hitting 37% from behind the arc.
Jacob Gilyard runs the show at point guard and has an incredible basketball IQ. He’s connected on 37% of his 254 attempts from behind the arc this season, and is cash from the free throw line.
Grant Golden, a 6-foot-10 forward, will be tasked with slowing down Nate Watson.
Richmond has been playing with its season on the line now for five games in a row. During that span, the Spiders have stepped up their perimeter defense, holding opponents to 26% from beyond the arc. That includes some of the top shooting teams in the nation in Iowa and Davidson.
Richmond’s defense has been mediocre this season, ranking in the middle of the country in 2-point and 3-point defense. The Spiders are strong at defending without fouling and will need to keep Providence away from easy points at the line.
Providence Friars
Providence has been overlooked by many all season despite doing nothing but win. Those wins haven’t come in the most impressive fashion at times, but nonetheless the Friars find a way to get it done.
The national narrative about Providence is that it's one of the luckiest teams in NCAA history thanks to its 11-2 record in games decided by five or less points. But at some point, we need to give Cooley’s bunch credit for having the clutch gene.
Providence ranks sixth in the nation in experience, with a cohesive unit that has played together over the last few years. Watson is the glue to the program, as he averages 14 points while shooting 56% from the field. The 6-foot-10 big man is the rim protector and the safety unit defensively.
The Friars have a group of outside shooters in A.J. Reeves, Jared Bynum and Noah Horchler. The trio have combined to hit 40% of their 387 shots from 3 this season.
Providence has minimal holes defensively and plays with great intensity under Cooley. The group ranks inside the top 50 in 3-point defense (31%) and 2-point defense (47%).
Like its first-round matchup, Providence will need to defend the perimeter successfully, as Richmond takes 42% of its shot attempts from deep.
Richmond vs. Providence Betting Pick
The Spiders deserve credit for taking advantage of their opportunities in their first-round victory, but Iowa was a complete no show. After owning one of the most prolific offenses, the Hawkeyes were ice cold from deep and could never recover.
Providence also shut down a prolific 3-point shooting team in South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits ranked first in the nation, hitting 44% of their 3-pointers. Providence used its physicality to hold them to 30% from deep and 44% on 2-point attempts.
This game is slated to be a lower-scoring, close matchup, just how Providence likes it. The Friars will shut down Richmond's mediocre — but high volume — outside shooting.
Offensively, Providence always has five legitimate scoring options on the court that can score in a variety of ways. The Friars will win the rebounding battle and find the clutch buckets down the stretch.
