Updated Providence vs. South Dakota State Odds, Spread, Pick & Predictions for 2022 NCAA Tournament

by BettingPros Staff |
Mar 14, 2022

Providence Friars vs. South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2022 NCAA Tournament Game Preview

Check Out the Best 2022 March Madness Sportsbook Offers for the Game >>

Providence Friars Spread: -2.5
South Dakota State Jackrabbits Spread: +2.5
Providence Friars Moneyline: -140
South Dakota State Jackrabbits Moneyline: +120
Game Over/Under: 149.5

Use our Bracket Optimizer to create the perfect bracket! >>

Providence Friars vs. South Dakota State Jackrabbits Match Up Overview

	South Dakota State	Providence
Conference	Summit	Big East
W-L	30-4	25-5
AdjEM	71st	49th
AdjO	12th	32nd
AdjD	221st	79th
Tempo	59th	272nd
eFG%	1st	163rd
TO%	24th	105th
OR%	300th	99th
FTR	55th	13th
DeFG%	248th	40th
DTO%	311st	315th
DR%	46th	173rd
DFTR	10th	75th
Luck	58th	1st

Stats via KenPom.

Check out all of our 2022 March Madness Coverage >>

Providence Friars Preview

Providence has enjoyed a magical season, with Ed Cooley leading the Friars to their first-ever regular-season title, and now Providence is hoping for more.

What this squad does best is get to the charity stripe. Over 21% of their points come from the free throw line, ranking 23rd in the nation. This forces opponents into foul trouble and allows players such as Jared Bynum, Al Durham, and Nate Watson to take over.

Providence only has four losses but has had some close calls, winning three games in overtime and going 11-2 in games decided by five or fewer points. I do not have high hopes for Providence's tournament aspirations. At some point, their luck has to give out, and I simply do not see this squad as athletic or talented enough to cut down the nets in New Orleans.

South Dakota State Jackrabbits Preview

If there is a mid-major that the NCAA is happy to see in the tournament, itâ€™s the Jackrabbits. Eric Henderson's team is one of the most entertaining teams to watch in all of college basketball, with their fast pace and elite shooting.

SDSU shoots 44.2% from deep, by far the best percentage in the nation. The second-best team, Colgate, shot three-pointers at a 40.1% clip, and the percentage gap between SDSU and Colgate is equal to the gap between Colgate and the 56th-ranked team, Eastern Washington which sank threes at a 36.0% clip.

This team is riding a 21-game winning streak and has four players who shoot above 40% from beyond the arc. The Jackrabbits are not one-dimensional, ranking 10th in 2pt%. SDSU finds whatever open look teams give them and capitalizes on it.

The thing is, the Jackrabbits don't exactly play tough defense. They are basically the Chiefs of college basketball, challenging teams to keep up with their scoring. The Jackrabbits allow a lot of open looks from beyond the arc but are good at staying out of foul trouble. This will be a popular pick to pull off a first-round upset, but make sure SDSU isn't facing a team that defends the perimeter well before auto-clicking the Summit League champions into the next round.

Rapid Prediction for Providence Friars vs. South Dakota State Jackrabbits

This could be one of the most fun games of the entire first round of the NCAA Tournament. Ed Cooley led his Friars to the Big East regular-season title, but many had doubts about how strong Providence really was. The Friars didn't do much to dissuade the naysayers in the conference tournament, as they got run off the floor by Creighton in the semifinals. South Dakota State, on the other hand, can score with any team in the country. They averaged 86.7 points per game â€“ second-highest in the nation â€“ and they boast a 30-win season to go along with a spotless 18-0 record in one of the strongest mid-major conferences you'll find.

Providence Friars vs. South Dakota State Jackrabbits Round 1 Game Pick

South Dakota St. +2.5

Win prizes playing our free March Madness Bracket Contest >>

Navigate