UConn Huskies vs Providence Friars Prediction, 1/7/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UConn Huskies vs Providence Friars

Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Location: Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, RI

TV: ESPN+

Amica Mutual Pavilion is the site where the Providence Friars (8-6) will try to defeat the UConn Huskies (14-1) on Wednesday.

The UConn Huskies took the court against Marquette and went home with a win by a final score of 73-57 in their last game. UConn wrapped up the game with a 42.9% field goal percentage (27 of 63) and converted 5 out of their 24 shots from downtown. From the free throw line, the Huskies buried 14 of their 21 attempts for a percentage of 66.7%. Concerning pulling down boards, they earned 44 with 13 of them being offensive. They also recorded 16 dimes in this contest while forcing the other team into 10 turnovers and getting 7 steals. In terms of defending, UConn allowed the other team to go 32.3% from the field on 20 of 62 shooting. Marquette dished out 9 assists and had 9 steals in the game. In addition, Marquette collected 34 rebounds (10 offensive, 24 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Marquette finished shooting 63.2% from the charity stripe by converting 12 of 19 attempts. They converted 5 of 24 shots from distance. Regarding fouls, the Huskies ended up finishing with 15 and Marquette totaled 21 fouls.

Solomon Ball is one guy who was a factor for the contest. He walked away from this one shooting 50.0% from the field and also dished out 1 assist. He was on the hardwood for 31 mins and pulled down 8 rebounds. He ended up finishing with 17 points on 6 out of 12 shooting.

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UConn will enter this contest with a record of 14-1 so far this season. They cough up possession 11.0 times per game and as a team are committing 18.4 fouls every game. As a team, UConn is grabbing 37.8 rebounds per game and has accounted for 278 assists on the year, which has them ranked 20th in the country in terms of passing the rock. The Huskies are shooting 34.4% on shots from 3-point land (114 of 331) and 70.0% from the charity stripe. They average 78.9 points per contest (146th in Division 1) while going 49.3% from the field.

When they are on the defensive end, the Huskies are able to force 12.8 turnovers per contest while drawing 17.0 personal fouls. They rank 5th in college in allowing assists to the opposition with 133 conceded so far this season. The Huskies defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 37.1% (304 of 819) and they concede 31.0 rebounds per contest as a group. They are giving up 25.5% on 3-point attempts and they rank 5th in college hoops in PPG allowed (61.2).

When they last stepped on the court, the Providence Friars went home victorious with a score of 77-71 against St. John's. The Friars earned 29 defensive boards and 13 offensive boards for a total of 42 in the matchup. They also turned it over 11 times, while getting 7 steals for the game. St. John's committed 24 personal fouls in this game which got the Friars to the free throw line for 28 tries. They were able to knock down 21 of them for a clip of 75.0%. In terms of shots from beyond the perimeter, Providence knocked down 6 of 18 tries (33.3%). Overall, the Friars finished the game shooting 25 for 64 from the field which gave them a percentage of 39.1%. The Friars permitted St. John's to make 20 out of their 71 attempts from the floor which left them with a shooting percentage of 28.2% in the matchup. They finished 22.6% from three-point range by going 7 of 31 and walked away from this one shooting 24 out of 37 from the charity stripe (64.9%). Concerning cleaning the glass, Providence allowed St. John's to get 44 in all (19 on the offensive side).

Stefan Vaaks ended up being a factor for the Friars in the matchup. He made 5 of 9 in the game for a rate of 55.6%, and had 6 rebounds. He tallied 16 points in his 28 mins on the court and had 2 assists for the contest.

Providence has a record of 8-6 on the year. The Friars have committed 19.6 personal fouls every game and they shoot 78.7% from the charity stripe. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 16.2 times per contest (89th in the country) and they are losing possession via turnover 11.5 times per game. Providence has accounted for 1,244 pts so far this year (88.9 per contest) and they collect 39.4 rebounds per game. As an offensive team, the Friars are shooting 47.5% from the floor, which ranks 87th in college hoops.

The Friars on the defensive side of the court are 341st in college in PPG given up with 82.8. They are able to force 11.6 TO's every game and have allowed teams to shoot 42.0% from the floor (107th in college hoops). The Providence defense allows 36.2% on shots from behind the 3-point line (138 of 381) and opponents are converting on 72.2% of their foul shots. They have allowed 15.6 dimes and 38.8 boards per game, which is ranked 307th and 337th in those categories on the defensive end.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Providence

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