Pittsburgh vs. Providence
Free Pick: Providence +11
Want more free picks from Steve Merril? Be sure to visit Touthouse.com each day for expert college basketball picks and free NCAA basketball predictions

Providence is on an eight-game losing streak. But look who they have played; Syracuse twice, Marquette, Georgetown, Villanova, and West Virginia. That’s the Big East gauntlet, and with Providence less talented than those teams, the losses are forgivable. In their most recent loss at South Florida, the Friars led virtually wire to wire before a complete meltdown happened in the final seconds of the game.

The Friars led 93-92 with 14 seconds left to play when South Florida’s Dominique Jones went coast to coast and hit a layup. A foul was also called which infuriated Providence, and their outburst led to a technical foul. After all was said and done, Providence lost 99-93 in a very misleading final score.

Pittsburgh has one of the strongest home courts in all of college basketball; the Panthers are 15-1 overall at home and 5-1 at home in conference play. However, of those five home conference wins, four of them have come by 10 points or less with two of those wins coming in overtime by 3 and 5 points. So Pittsburgh isn’t in the habit of blowing out conference opponents at home, and with the offensive firepower Providence has, it’s unlikely they’ll do it here.

What keeps Providence from being a stronger selection is their disregard for playing defense. The Friars have allowed 85 points or more in 12 games this season and when facing a Pittsburgh team that focuses on defense (allow just 62 ppg), it’s tough to trust Providence enough tonight. The other issue we have is the way Providence comes into this game, off the heartbreaking loss and off eight consecutive losses overall. Even though they’ve lost five of the eight by less than tonight’s pointspread, there’s worry that their tank may be on empty.

If you enjoyed this article then you may be interested in:

1. Providence vs. Pittsburgh Betting Odds, Pick & ATS Trends: March 4th 2010
2. NCAA Basketball Betting: Syracuse vs. Providence Odds & Pick: February 23rd 2010
3. College Basketball Picks: Providence vs. Villanova Betting Odds: February 4th 2008
4. 2009-2010 Providence College Basketball Predictions
5. NCAA Basketball Betting: USC vs. Arizona State Pick & Odds: March 4th 2010