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The Providence Friars will try to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a quarter century when they square off against the Richmond Spiders in a Midwest Region second round 2022 NCAA Tournament game on Saturday at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. In 1997, the Friars knocked off Marquette, Duke and Chattanooga en route to reaching the Elite Eight, where they lost to eventual national champion Arizona. This year, Providence (26-5) is two wins shy of matching the school record for wins, set by the 1973-74 team. 

Tipoff is set for 6:10 p.m. ET. The Friars are favored by 3.5 points in the latest Providence vs. Richmond odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 134. Before making any Richmond vs. Providence picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $1,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Providence vs. Richmond, and just locked in its picks and March Madness predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting trends for Richmond vs. Providence:

  • Providence vs. Richmond spread: Friars -3.5
  • Providence vs. Richmond over-under: 134 points
  • Providence vs. Richmond money line: Friars -170, Spiders +145
  • PROV: Nate Watson leads the team in scoring (13.6 points per game) and field-goal percentage (55.5).
  • RICH: Jacob Gilyard leads Div. I in steals per game (3.09).

Why Providence can cover

Providence has one of the best sixth men in the country in Jared Bynum. The 5-foot-10 junior from Largo, Md., is the first Big East player in 25 years with three games of 25-plus points off the bench in a single season. He led the Friars in scoring in conference games, averaging 15.6 points a game. For his efforts this season, he earned the Big East Sixth Man Award.

In addition, Providence faces one of the worst rebounding teams in the Atlantic 10 in Richmond. The Spiders rank last in the 14-team Atlantic 10 in total rebounds per game (32.44). They also are 12th in the conference in rebound margin (-3.2 rebounds per game).

Why Richmond can cover

Jacob Gilyard is on a roll. Over his last four games, the undersized guard (he is 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds) has averaged 23.3 points per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. In the Atlantic 10 Tournament, he was named Most Outstanding Player after averaging 19.8 points, setting a tournament record with 16 steals and playing all 160 minutes.

In addition, analytics suggests that luck has been a significant factor in Providence's success this season. According to KenPom.com, the Friars are the luckiest team in the country (+.193 luck rating). Providence is 11-2 in games decided by five points or fewer.

How to make Richmond vs. Providence picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 140 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Providence vs. Richmond? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.