The Providence Friars are 6-1 straight up and 5-2 against the spread over their last seven games. Providence will try to earn a spot in the Round of 64 with a win over the USC Trojans on Wednesday night.
NCAA Tournament odds for March 15: Providence, UC Davis play-in betting underdogs
Wednesday’s action will complete the NCAA tournament’s 64-team bracket, with USC favored over Providence and NC Central favored over UC Davis on the betting lines.
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Providence is a 2.5-point underdog against the Trojans at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. In the early play-in game on Wednesday, the North Carolina Central Eagles are 3.5-point favorites against the UC Davis Aggies.
The Friars kicked off conference play in a slump with a 1-5 SU and ATS record, but rebounded nicely to finish the season on a 9-5 SU and 11-3 ATS run. Providence has been particularly strong as an underdog over that stretch, going 8-1 ATS in its last nine games as a dog with five outright upsets, per the OddsShark College Basketball Database.
The team ranks 50th in the nation on defense, allowing 66.6 points per game.
USC’s streaky season made the Trojans a close call for the tournament committee, but a 3-1 SU and ATS finish — that included an impressive battle in a 76-74 loss against UCLA — tipped the scales in the Trojans’ favor.
The Trojans rank 56th nationally on offense with 78.7 points per game, and could be dangerous if they are able to advance. The winner of this game will play 6-seed SMU on Friday.
These two teams met in the 2016 NCAA tournament, with Providence edging out USC, 70-69, as 2.5-point favorites.
North Carolina Central reeled off a 16-2 SU record over its last 18 games and is a perfect 6-0 ATS this season in games that had spreads. The Eagles have a legitimate all-around offensive weapon in Patrick Cole, who has averaged 19.5 points, seven rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game this season.
UC Davis is making its first-ever appearance at March Madness after knocking off top-seeded UC Irvine, 50-47, in the Big West Championship. The win was a bit surprising, as the Aggies lost to UC Irvine by 20 points on the road one week prior to this showdown. The Aggies are 6-1 SU and 5-1-1 ATS over their last seven games.
The winner of North Carolina Central vs. UC Davis will be a 16-seed against 1-seed Kansas on Friday night in the Midwest Region of the 2017 NCAA tournament bracket.
