Louis Brown Athletic Center will host Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Providence Friars action on Saturday as both teams try to pay off for bettors in NCAA basketball betting action.

Rutgers battles the Friars, currently sitting with a 14-12 mark (12-9-1 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, always important for totals bettors, are 8-11 for the Scarlet Knights and 13-7 for the Friars.



View Providence vs Rutgers Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Scarlet Knights were listed as 1.5-point underdogs at most sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark earlier in the day. It opened first at Sportsbook, where the total was expected shortly.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Scarlet Knights sit at No. 134 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Friars sit at No. 45 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Friars will win this game 70-66.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Rutgers's No. 204 nationally ranked offense (66.3 points per game) against a Friars defense that sits as the No. 123 at 64.3 PPG. The Scarlet Knights have been averaging 44.2% from the field, more than the Friars have managed so far this season (41.8% on average).

Defensively, Providence features the nation's No. 206-rated defense on the road, allowing 70.9 points per game. Rutgers, meanwhile, comes in at No. 238 nationally in scoring at home.

Providence was an 84-59 loser in their most recent outing on the road against Syracuse. They failed to cover the 12-point spread as underdogs. Providence was crushed on Wednesday, getting blown out by Syracuse and falling by an 84-59 score at Carrier Dome.

Rutgers was a 71-63 loser in its last match on the road against Villanova. They covered the 10.5-point spread as underdogs. The Scarlet Knights got 24 points from Myles Mack, but it was Villanova that prevailed in a 71-63 final on Monday at Villanova Pavilion.


Providence Friars Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing St. John's are 5-5
After playing Syracuse are 3-7
After a loss are 4-6

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Georgetown are 4-6
After playing Villanova are 4-6
After a loss are 4-6

A few Friars at Scarlet Knights trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Providence's last 5 games on the road
Providence is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Providence is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Rutgers
Providence is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Rutgers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Rutgers's last 6 games when playing Providence
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Rutgers's last 9 games
Rutgers is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home
Rutgers is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Providence


Next up:
Providence home to St. John's, Saturday, March 2
Rutgers at Georgetown, Saturday, March 2