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The Midwest Region has been full of upsets in one half of the bracket in this NCAA Tournament, but we have a chalk matchup in the Sweet 16 on Friday from Chicago when No. 1 Kansas faces No. 4 Providence, with the Jayhawks as solid favorites on the NCAAB odds.

How to Bet Providence vs. Kansas NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info

When: Friday, 7:29 PM ET
Where: United Center, Chicago
TV: TBS
Radio: Tunein.com
Opening NCAAB Lines: Kansas -7.5 (total 141.5)

Why Bet on Providence?

The Friars routed No. 12 Richmond 79-51 in the Round of 32 to advance. Providence had five players score in double figures and held the Spiders to 1 of 22 on 3-pointers. The Friars improved to 27-5 overall, marking the most victories for Providence since 1973-74 (28-4). Noah Horchler recorded a double-double with 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. student Al Durham recorded 13 points, including eight in the first half. The Friars advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1996-97 season.

“We have a lot of threats on this team both on the offensive end and on the defensive end, and when we play like this, I feel like we’re the best team in the country,” A.J. Reeves said.

In the first-round victory over South Dakota State, Providence allowed 57 points, marking the fewest points the Friars allowed in an NCAA Tournament game all-time. Providence bested that mark vs. Richmond in the second round. The Friars’ 28-point margin of victory ties their largest margin of victory since defeating Sacred Heart by 28 points (92-64) on Nov. 11, 2021.

The Friars’ 28-point margin of victory marked their largest in the NCAA Tournament in program history. It surpassed the Friars’ 24-point margin victory versus West Virginia in the 1965 NCAA Tournament. The Friars’ defense held Richmond to 20.7 points below its season average (71.7 ppg).

The Friars have faced 11 teams in the NCAA Tournament field this season and have posted an 9-4 mark against those teams. The Friars faced Richmond (1-0), South Dakota State (1-0), Wisconsin (1-0), Saint Peter’s (1-0), Texas Tech (1-0), Vermont (1-0), Connecticut (1-0), Seton Hall (1-0), Marquette (1-1), Creighton (1-1) and Villanova (0-2). All time, the Friars have faced 52 of the 68 teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament Field. Providence has registered a 291-306 record all-time against those 51 teams, including a 7-9 mark in NCAA play.

This will be PC’s first-ever game vs. Kansas. The Friars are attempting to reach 28 wins in a season for the first time since 1973-74 (28-4).

Why Bet on Kansas?

Kansas (30-6) beat No. 9 Creighton 79-72 in Round 2. One of the worst teams in the country from beyond the arc, ninth-seeded Creighton went 12 of 28. Arthur Kaluma was 4 of 10 and scored 24 points.

The biggest 3 came from freshman Trey Alexander, who swished an off-balance heave from well behind the line as the shot clock was about to expire for a 73-70 deficit with 2:25 to go. Keyshawn Feazell’s bucket soon after got Creighton within one.

The Bluejays had a chance to go ahead in the final minute, but Alexander’s errant pass went off Alex O’Connell’s hands. KU star Ochai Agbaji scooped up the loose ball and took for a breakaway dunk, the last of his 13 second-half points. That was that. Agbaji, the 2022 Big 12 Player of the Year, leads the Big 12 and is 33rd nationally in scoring at 19.3 points per game. He has been named one of four finalists for the Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year.

Super-senior guard Remy Martin paced the Jayhawks with a season-high 20 points in 29 minutes vs. Creighton, also adding seven rebounds and four assists. Jalen Wilson picked up his fourth double-double of the season in the win over the ninth-seeded Bluejays, with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

At 30-6, Kansas has won 30 games 16 times in a season, which ties for the most in NCAA Division I history with Kentucky. Bill Self has 10 of the 16 30-win seasons at Kansas. His 11 all-time 30-win seasons only trails Mike Krzyzewski (15) and Roy Williams (12).

KU is 2-0 vs. the Big East Conference this season and 53-20 all-time against Big EAST current membership. Kansas is 8-2 in Sweet 16 games under Self, beginning in 2004. The Jayhawks have won their last three Sweet 16 contests in 2018, 2017 and 2016.

With 2,353 all-time wins, a Kansas win against Providence would move KU ahead of Kentucky (2,353) for most all-time victories at 2,354