The college hoops betting action goes on Saturday, February 12, 2021, so we are taking a closer look at the Big East Conference showdown at Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, to get you the best DePaul vs. Providence betting pick along with the latest odds update on MyBookie Sportsbook. 

The Blue Demons face off against the Friars for the second time this term. Back on the first day of January, the Friars routed DePaul 70-53 as 1.5-point road underdogs with a total of 139.0 points. 

DePaul aims for its third straight win      

The DePaul Blue Demons (12-10; 14-8 ATS) have won two games in a row, outlasting Georgetown 82-74 and No. 21 Xavier 69-65 in the process. Last Wednesday, they beat the Hoyas as 6.5-point home favorites on the back of David Jones’ triple double.

It was the first triple-double in program history, as sophomore wing accounted for 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Blue Demons shot 51.7% from the field and 40.9% from beyond the arc, leading by as many as 26 points.

DePaul improved to 3-9 in conference play. The Blue Demons are No. 103 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 105 in the KenPom rankings. They’ve gone only 1-6 straight up in Quadrant 1 games. DePaul scores 105.4 points per 100 possessions (116th in the nation) and allows 98.7 in a return (95th).

Providence rides a seven-game winning streak   

The Providence Friars continue to impress, topping the Big East Conference with a 10-1 record. They are No. 11 in the AP Top 25 Poll, No. 25 in the NCAA NET Rankings, and No. 44 in the latest KenPom rankings.

The Friars are coming off a comfortable 71-52 road victory at the Georgetown Hoyas this past Sunday. It was their seventh win on the spin, as the Friars improved to 20-2 straight up and 14-8 ATS on the season.

Junior guard Jared Bynum scored a career-high 32 points to lift his team over Georgetown. The Friars made 48.0% of their 3-pointers to go with 15 assists and 20 turnovers. They score 110.0 points per 100 possessions (53rd in the nation) and surrender 95.1 to their opponents (45th).

Trends:

DePaul:

  • 6-14 ATS in the last 20 games played in February
  • 2-4 ATS in the last six games against Providence

Providence:

  • 11-5 ATS in the last 16 games overall
  • 5-1 ATS in the last six games played in February
  • 7-1 ATS in the last eight games played on Saturday

DePaul vs. Providence Pick

The Blue Demons are missing their best player. Senior G Javon Freeman-Liberty has averaged 21.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists through 16 appearances so far this season, and his absence is a massive blow for DePaul.

Hereof, I’m expecting the Friars to dominate this game and cover. Their defense should be a key factor. Providence has held its opponents to 63 points or fewer in four of its previous five games overall. On the other side, DePaul couldn’t hit a 50-point mark in two of its last three showings on the road.

Pick: Take Providence                

The Total:

The Friars love to take things slowly, registering 65.5 possessions per 40 minutes (283rd in the nation). However, they won’t mind speeding up things against the Blue Demons, who average 69.1 possessions per 40 minutes (91st).

I lean the under because of Providence’s defense that ranks 49th in the nation in field goal percentage (40.5%) and 70th in 3-point percentage (31.0%). The under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings between the Blue Demons and Friars, and it is 5-1 in DePaul’s previous six outings at any location.

Pick: Go under