Teams tied for fifth place in the Big East standings will look to improve their conference tournament seeding when the Villanova Wildcats meet the Providence Friars in a crucial battle on Saturday. The Wildcats (16-12, 9-8 Big East), who won the first meeting 68-50 on Feb. 4, have won four of their last five games. The Friars (18-10, 9-8 Big East), who have won four of their last six games, are coming off a 91-69 loss at Marquette on Wednesday. Providence is 14-2 on its home court, while Villanova is 3-7 on the road.   

Tip-off is set for noon ET at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. The Friars are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Villanova vs. Providence odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 134 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page). 

Before making any Villanova vs. Providence picks, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 17 of the 2023-24 season on a 139-94 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $2,300 for $100 players. It also is off to a sizzling 25-14 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows junior guard Devin Carter has been a consistent threat for the Friars and has scored in double figures in all 27 games he has played in this year. He is coming off an 18-point, five-rebound and five-assist effort in the loss at Marquette on Wednesday. Prior to that, he had posted four double-doubles in a five-game stretch, including 31 points and 13 rebounds in an 81-70 win over DePaul on Feb. 17.

The model also is aware senior forward Eric Dixon, who has started all 28 games in 2023-24, is leading the Wildcats' attack. He has scored at least 20 points in each of the last three matchups. In a 78-54 loss to top-ranked UConn on Feb. 24, he nearly picked up his second double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds. He scored 22 points and added six rebounds in the win over Georgetown on Tuesday.

Now, the model has set its sights on Villanova vs. Providence. We can tell you the model is leaning Over on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time! 

Who wins Villanova vs. Providence, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Villanova vs. Providence spread you should be all over Saturday, all from the model that's on a 25-14 roll on top-rated college basketball spread picks!