Providence Friars vs DePaul Blue Demons Betting Pick & Prediction 1/17/24

Looking to win big? The Friars and Blue Demons face off at 9:00 ET on FS1. The Blue Demons are hosting the game at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. The Friars come into this Big East conference matchup as the betting favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 139.5 points.

PROVIDENCE FRIARS VS DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS BETTING PICK

The Pick: DePaul Blue Demons +8.5

This game will be played at Wintrust Arena at 9:00 ET on Wednesday, January 17th.

WHY BET THE DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-68 in favor of the Blue Demons.
• Not only will DePaul pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +8.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 139.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 143 points.

Can the Providence Offense Score Enough on the Road?

Providence heads into today’s game with a record of 11-6 and a four-game losing streak. They are 2-4 in Big East play and 9-2 in non-conference games. On the road, the Friars are just 1-3 this season, and they have lost their last three games away from home.

Overall, Providence is 9-3 when favored, and they have been the favorite in 12 of their 17 games this season. Their average scoring margin at home is +10.5 compared to -6.2 on the road.

Providence has an ATS record of 10-7 this season and they are 6-6 vs. the spread when they are the favorite. On the road, the Friars have an ATS mark of 3-1 this year and they have gone 5-5 vs. the spread in their last 10 games as the favorite.

Providence’s over/under record for the season is 5-12 and today’s over/under line of 139.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (141.7). This season, 14 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 142 points.

Against Xavier, the Providence had a tough time putting up points compared to their season average of 72.5 points per game. They scored 65 points and posted a field goal percentage of 39.6% in the game. In terms of offense, the Friars have a season-long field goal percentage of 45%, putting them 178th in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 285th in percentage and 137th in three-pointers made.

At present, the Friars’ defense is nationally ranked 54th, allowing 65.9 points per game. Providence’s three-point defense is currently 74th in the country at 6.2 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 40.0% of their shots vs. Providence.

Will the Blue Demons Exceed Expectations at Home?

DePaul is 3-13 overall this season, and they have lost four straight games. In Big East play, the Blue Demons are winless at 0-5.

At home, DePaul is 3-7 this season, and they have gone 2-3 over their last five games. So far, they have been an underdog in 10 of their 16 games, and they have yet to win in that situation.

DePaul has struggled against the spread this season with a record of 4-11-1. Their ATS mark at home is 3-6-1 and they have gone 1-8-1 vs. the spread as the underdog this year. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Blue Demons are just 1-8-1 vs. the spread.

So far this year, the over/under record for DePaul is 7-9 and the average over/under line in their games is 143.2. Today’s line of 139.5 is lower than the average scoring in their games this season (142.9). Over their last three games, their games have averaged 146 points compared to their season average of 142.9 points per game.

The DePaul offense is coming off a game where they scored 69 points against Villanova. They posted a field goal percentage of 46.3% and connected on 8 threes. Chico Carter Jr. is leading the team in scoring at 12.1 points per contest. Da’Sean Nelson has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 11.9 going into the game.

At this time, the Blue Demons’ defense is positioned 256th in the country, permitting 77.2 points per game. In their previous game vs. Villanova, the Wildcats finished with a field goal percentage of 55% and a total of 94 points vs. DePaul.