| Range | W | L | P | +/- (Units) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yesterday | 2 | 1 | 0.00 | +3.10 |
| Last 30 Days | 18 | 7 | 0.00 | +23.24 |
| Season to Date | 29 | 21 | 0.00 | +18.12 |
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DEPAUL -1 over Providence
8:30 PM EST. Providence returns their top seven players to a team that snuck into the NCAA Tournament last March. The Friars 2017 NCAA Tournament appearance was brief since they lost to USC in Dayton during the First Four. We point that out because the same players that felt jubilation last March are feeling it again right now after the Friars boosted its tournament résumé with a resounding win over #5 Xavier in its last game. Providence is now 11-6 overall and 2-2 in the Big East so they still have lots of work to do to get in. However, they won’t have long to wait to make a case for themselves. The Friars are a quality outfit that has played the 44th toughest schedule in the country but what we can’t lose sight of is that these are just kids playing a game they love and not getting paid for it. The payoff may come for a small percentage of them but the point is that there are more highs and lows in college sports than there is in the pros and that’s our focus here.
As stated, Providence just defeated #5 Xavier. Up next for the Friars after this game is four games in succession against Butler, #25 Creighton, #1 Villanova and #13 Seton Hall. The next four games, excluding this one, will make or break the Friars season. Providence is in a horrible scheduling spot here, as this contest is sandwiched between that aforementioned victory over the Musketeers and four extremely important games. We cannot stress enough how difficult it is going to be for the Friars to be focused and motivated here. That puts them high on our fade list for this one game.
DePaul is 1-3 in the Big East and 8-8 overall. The Blue Demons also have a fraction of the market credibility that Providence has. DePaul has not made the NCAA tournament since 2004 and are pretty much an afterthought in this conference. Nobody gets up to play the Blue Demons and nobody boosts their résumé when they do beat them. Things continue to be tough for the Blue Demons too. Dave Leitao has yet to see a double-digit win season since rejoining the Blue Demons and his current tenure has been a far cry from his first one, when he took DePaul to the NCAA Tournament. This past offseason wasn’t smooth either, as a couple transfers, a top-tier recruit decommitting—while an eighth grader, class of 2022, gives a verbal--took over the Blue Demons’ storylines. However, DePaul was able to bring in graduate transfer Marin Maric (Northern Illinois), who has made an immediate impact. The Blue Demons were projected to be an eight win or so team but they already have eight wins. Team morale is high and it’s worth noting that DePaul has already played Xavier, Villanova, Notre Dame and Michigan State and nearly upset the Musketeers.
Friday night is not college basketball night in America. It is usually limited to Ivy League and MAAC games but on this day we find a Big East matchup between a team trying to earn another bid to the dance against a perennial loser but that loser is the betting favorite? That’s an invite by the linesmakers to bet the wrong side and we’re urging you not to bite. “Reading between the lines” screams out that DePaul is supposed to win here.
Bet is to win 2 units
GOOD LUCK!
