Providence vs St John’s NCAA Basketball Odds

The final weekend of the regular season is upon us, and there are a number of teams still on the bubble. A win on the closing day of the season could mean the difference between getting into the Tournament or going home for the summer. The Providence Friars are a team very much on the bubble right now, but the general consensus seems to be that they have done enough to book their ticket. That said a loss to the St. John’s Red Storm on Saturday could see them having to get into the postseason via a play-in game, which is something that they will definitely want to be avoiding at all costs. If the Friars were given the option to choose one Big East team to play against to definitely punch their ticket, St. John’s would likely be the choice, but you really never know how things are going to go when so much is on the line. Head to the NCAA basketball betting page for your chance to cash a winning ticket.

Providence Friars vs St John’s Red Storm NCAA Basketball Odds

When: Saturday, March 5 at 12:30 PM EST Where: Madison Square Garden, New York TV: FS1 Radio: St. Johns IMG Sports Network Live Stream: FOX Sports 1 NCAA Odds: TBA    

Why bet on Providence Friars

You have to say that the Providence Friars (21-9, 9-8) have responded well to the pressure of being on the bubble. They have picked up wins in their last two games, and now essentially control their own destiny heading into the final game of the regular season. St. John’s are a team that they should be able to handle, but there has to be a little element of doubt when you consider that the Friars have lost their last 4 road games. Jumping out to a solid early start should help calm the nerves, and that is what they were able to do in their last meeting with the Red Storm, which ended up being an 83-65 blowout win for the Friars. Providence are averaging 73.6 PPG, and are giving up 69.6 PPG so far this season.

Why bet on St. John’s Red Storm

While the St. John’s Red Storm (8-22, 1-16) would love to play the role of the spoiler on Saturday, it’s tough to see how they are going to be able to do that. Since December 18 of last year, the Red Storm have only managed to win a single game, which was a rather surprising 80-65 manhandling of DePaul. They have not come anywhere close to that level of play since then, and they come into this one looking like something of a sacrificial lamb. The only real hope they have is that the Friars will crack under the pressure of needing the win, but I just don’t see that happening. The Red Storm are averaging 66.8 PPG, and are giving up 76.0 PPG.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The Friars are well aware of the importance of this game, and I believe that will actually help them here, as they will not come in overconfident. I like them to win this one in double digit fashion.

Providence Friars 75 St. John’s Red Storm 65