The Providence Friars take on the Villanova Wildcats in Philadelphia, PA. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on FS1.
Villanova is favored by 8 points on the spread with a moneyline of -345. The total is set at 141.5 points.
Here’s my Providence vs. Villanova predictions and college basketball picks for January 17, 2025.
Providence vs Villanova Prediction
My Pick: Villanova -7.5 (Play to -9)
My Providence vs Villanova best bet is on the Wildcats spread, with the best odds currently available at BetMGM. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Providence vs Villanova Odds
| Providence Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8 -112 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | +275 |
| Villanova Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8 -108 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | -345 |
- Providence vs Villanova spread: Villanova -8
- Providence vs Villanova over/under: 141.5 points
- Providence vs Villanova moneyline: Villanova -345, Providence +275
- Providence vs Villanova best bet: Villanova -7.5 (Play to -9)
Spread
I'm taking Nova on the spread up to -9.
Moneyline
There's no value on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm avoiding the total.
My Pick: Villanova- 7.5 (Play to -9)
Providence vs Villanova College Basketball Betting Preview
Villanova looked like it had righted the ship after winning eight of nine, but a two-game Big East road trip against St. John's and Xavier set the Wildcats back.
However, this is the perfect bounce-back spot for Kyle Neptune's bunch, as the Wildcats host Providence at the intimate Finneran Pavilion. The Friars just played Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska, on Tuesday, so this isn't a great travel position for them.
But beyond the spot, Villanova matches up nicely with Providence.
The Friars are solid defensively, but their best work on that end of the floor comes on the interior (52nd in defensive near-proximity percentage, via Haslametrics). That's not where Villanova likes to operate most on offense — the Wildcats shoot 41% from distance, relying heavily on the 3-ball and Eric Dixon to space the floor.
Providence also doesn't have a consistent, strong option to face guard Dixon (the country's leading scorer, 24.8 PPG) and stick with him on the perimeter.
On the other end of the floor, the Friars thrive off offensive rebounds, but Villanova does a great job of limiting opponents from converting those looks (12th in percentage of second-chance opportunities converted, via Haslametrics).
Also, the Friars remain banged up. Bryce Hopkins (knee) hasn't played since December 10 (and there's been talks about a medical redshirt). Rich Barron (concussion) has missed the past four games and Christ Essandoko (hamstring), who's been brutal this season, played just seven minutes against the Bluejays.
If the Wildcats want to have any shot at making the NCAA Tournament, they can ill-afford to suffer any Quad 3 or Quad 4 losses from here on out (while also racking up marquee victories). This would go down as a Quad 3 loss, so I expect the Wildcats to not only win, but to cover the spread in the process.
