NCAA Basketball Picks: Providence at Villanova

Scottie Reynolds and Villanova take on Providence tonight. (AP Images)"]

There aren’t many gimmies in the Big East. The Providence Friars (18-11 SU, 11-14 ATS) proved that on Feb. 24 with a major 81-73 upset over No. 1 Pittsburgh. But can the Friars do something on Thursday that they haven’t accomplished in five years: beat the Villanova Wildcats (24-6 SU, 15-11 ATS)?

It’s a tough way for Providence to wrap up the regular season. The Wildcats are a balanced, solid two-way team, while the Friars are not terribly good at defense, especially at the perimeter. Providence also relies on guard Weyinmi Efejuku to get to the free-throw line, which he does by drawing 5.5 fouls per 40 minutes.

This is one area where Villanova is vulnerable. ”˜Cats opponents make 36.7 percent of their shot attempts from the foul line, above the Division I average of 36.4 percent. Otherwise, Villanova is 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS versus Providence since March 2004.

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