The Seton Hall Pirates (8-5) take on the 23^rd-ranked Providence Friars (11-2) at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island for an appealing college basketball betting opportunity on Wednesday, January 3 at 6:30 PM ET. The Friars are slight favorites to win with a point spread at -5.5 (-110).

The Pirates have had a roller coaster of emotions in the last two weeks. They have gone 3-2 over their last five games, with one win being a 75-60 victory over the fifth-ranked UConn Huskies. After that win, they were defeated 74-54 by the Xavier Musketeers.

Kadary Richmond is averaging 15.2 points per game and shooting 47.8 percent from the field. He also averages 4.2 assists, but has 2.9 turnovers each matchup.

The Pirates are getting up 73.9 points per game and having 45.8 percent of their shots go into the net. They average 13.1 assists per contest, which could use some improvement to get more teammates included on offense.

Their defense does not have much room for error, as they allow 69.0 points per game. They are also contributing 37.8 rebounds, 4.1 blocks, and 8.1 steals each game.

The Friars have won their last four games, which included a 72-57 performance over the (previously) sixth-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles. Their most recent win was an 85-75 overtime outing over the Butler Bulldogs.

Devin Carter is putting up 16.8 points each game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field. While he gets 3.0 assists per game, he turns the ball over 3.2 times at the same time.

They are able to produce 75.2 points each game and shoot 46.8 percent from the field. They also accumulate 14.5 assists, which means they move the ball slightly better in comparison to the Pirates.

The Friars have allowed opposing teams to get 63.9 points per game, which bodes well for their chances at success here. In addition, they also acquire 38.7 rebounds, 5.9 blocks, and 5.9 steals per matchup.

MyBookie has the odds ready for this college basketball matchup, with the Providence Friars slightly favored to win by 5.5 points. According to market insights, the Friars have a 78.8 percent chance at success.

The Pirates have shown to be a dangerous team, but they also appear to have some issues against teams that are more hyped about the upset than they are (Xavier matchup). As for the Friars, they seem to be a legitimate team that will be a tough matchup come March. Look for them to win and cover the spread here.