South Dakota State is one of two teams this season to go undefeated in conference play and that should not be overlooked heading into the matchup with Providence. The Jackrabbits move the ball well and get up and down the court pretty quickly to score as often as they do.
How to watch South Dakota State vs. Providence Basketball
Game Matchup: No. 13 South Dakota State (30-4) vs. No. 4 Providence (25-5)
Venue & Location: Keybank Center (Buffalo, NY)
Date: Thursday, March 17, 2022
Time: 12:40 p.m. ET
TV: truTV (Watch 7 days free with fuboTV)
Providence won the Big East regular season title, which should certainly help them to navigate this tournament. The Ed Cooley-led Friars have been experiencing one of their best seasons to date so losing in the first round of the tournament is not going to be on the agenda for these guys.
South Dakota State vs. Providence Odds and prediction
Spread:
- South Dakota State +2.5 (-110)
- Providence -2.5 (-110)
Moneyline:
- South Dakota State +120
- Providence -145
Total: Over/Under – 149.5 (-110)
Odds are via BetMGM.
South Dakota State vs. Providence Basketball Game Betting Preview
The Jackrabbits average the second-most points per game in the country at 86.7 and that is the kind of offense that can take down a Goliath in the tournament. SDSU is an excellent shooting team that lights up teams from beyond the arc at a 44.9% clip, best in the country. They also shoot 52.5% from the floor overall, which is second-best in the country.
While the Friars don’t have an offense quite like South Dakota State, they are a top-20 team in free throws made and attempted. Should the game get ugly and we see a free throw parade, that would certainly aid Providence. The Friars also hold opponents to 41.1% so something will have to give in this matchup.
The Jackrabbits boast an elite offense, but aren’t exactly getting stops by the boatload. If they have one off night shooting the ball, it could be disastrous though since the defense is not exactly a calling card for them. They do end possessions fairly well as they average about 28 defensive rebounds a game, which is good for 16th in the country.
