Providence Friars at West Virginia Mountaineers

Betting Odds

Point Spread: West Virginia Mountaineers (-9.5)
Game Total Line: (152.5)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

The Providence Friars will be looking to notch their first conference win this season when they head south this Thursday night for a Big East matchup against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Tip-off from the WVU Coliseum is set for 7 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

Providence has had a rough start to Big East play with four straight losses after going 11-2 in its non-conference games. The Friars latest setback was easily their worst of the season. This past Saturday they fell to Rutgers 85-72 as a 1 ½-point road favorite to drop to 11-6 straight-up on the year and 7-6 against the spread. This followed a tough 83-79 loss to No. 5 Pitt as a 5 ½-point home underdog.

The Friars are led by senior guard-forward Marshon Brooks, who is averaging 23.8 points and eight rebounds a game. Sophomore guard Vincent Council leads the team in assists with 6.8 per game and is second on the team in scoring with 15.2 points.

Providence is averaging 79 points per game and is one of the top rebounding schools in the country with an average of 40 per game. The Friars are shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from beyond the three-point line. They have left some points on the table from the foul line, converting just 69.4 percent of their attempts.

West Virginia followed-up losses to St. John’s and Marquette in its first two conference games with a 67-65 win over DePaul on Jan. 4 as a 10 ½-point road favorite and a 65-59 upset over Georgetown as a 7 ½-point road underdog this past Saturday. The Mountaineers are currently 10-4 SU but just 4-7 ATS.

The Mountaineers’ offensive production is anchored by a trio of upperclassmen; senior Casey Mitchell and juniors Kevin Jones and Darryl Bryant. Mitchell leads the team in scoring with 17.6 points per game, while Jones is averaging 13.6 points and is the leading rebounder with 6.4 per game. Bryant leads in assists with 3.5 and is also averaging 12.3 points per game.

West Virginia is shooting 45.8 percent from the floor and averaging 75 points per game. The Mountaineers are hitting 34.6 percent of their three-point shots, but are also shooting under 70 percent from the free-throw line. They are at a slight disadvantage to the Friars under the boards with an average of 37 rebounds per game.

Providence is 2-3 ATS in its last five road games and 6-2 ATS in its last eight games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in seven of its last nine games.

West Virginia is 2-1 ATS in its last three games at home but just 2-5 ATS in its last seven games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in three of its last five games.

Head-to-head, the Mountaineers have won nine out of the last 10 games SU and are 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings. The average point spread in those six games was 6.8 The total has stayed ‘under’ in three of the last four meetings.

Against the Spread Game Pick

Defense has been the problem for the Friars allowing 76 or more points in 4 of their last 5 games and now visit the Moutaineers who are averaging 78.1 points per game at home. I was expecting to see West Virginia minus 7 or less points, but the linesmaker threw up a 10 on this game taking out any betting value on the home side.
Take the OVER 152.5 at SportsInteraction and grab a free $125!