The Providence Friars take on the Wisconsin Badgers in San Diego, CA, in the Rady's Children's Invitational. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Wisconsin is favored by -6 points on the spread with a moneyline of -280. The total is set at 167 points.
Here’s my Providence vs. Wisconsin predictions and college basketball picks for November 27, 2025.
Providence vs Wisconsin Prediction
My Pick: Wisconsin -5.5 (Play to -7)
My Providence vs Wisconsin best bet is on the Badgers to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Providence vs. Wisconsin Odds
| Providence Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6 -105 | 167 -110 / -110 | +230 |
| Wisconsin Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6 -115 | 167 -110 / -110 | -280 |
- Providence vs Wisconsin spread: Wisconsin -6
- Providence vs Wisconsin over/under: 167 points
- Providence vs Wisconsin moneyline: Providence +230, Wisconsin -280
Providence vs Wisconsin College Basketball Betting Preview
Providence Basketball
After Providence had its worst season in more than a decade, the Friars had high hopes for a fast start to this season.
That hasn't quite been the case.
Providence is just 4-2, losing its two stiffest tests, and the team’s KenPom ranking has fallen 12 spots from its preseason perch of 48th.
On the positive end, the offense has been vastly improved. Kim English hired assistant Bryan Tibaldi onto his staff from the Cleveland Cavaliers, tasking him with modernizing an attack that had struggled in all four of English’s seasons as a head coach.
His previous peak finish in KenPom’s offensive rankings was 87th; the Friars currently sit 52nd.
A massive increase in pace is a major part of the reason. An English team has never finished higher than 191st in average possession length on offense, but these Friars rank 22nd.
That increase in transition possessions has helped give a necessary jolt, as has an increase in ball-screen usage and effectiveness. Per Synergy, Providence is in the 80th percentile in frequency and in the 93rd percentile in efficiency of possessions finished by a pick-and-roll ball-handler.
Much of the credit for that increase goes to the transfer backcourt of Jason Edwards and Jaylin Sellers. Edwards has been brilliant all season, and he's posted 24 assists to just four turnovers in the Friars’ first six games.
Bigger wing handlers Stefan Vaaks and Ryan Mela have also been excellent, with Vaaks torching the nets from 3 thus far (17-of-44, 38.6%).
Defensively, Providence has seen some slippage, but the Friars may be victims of bad luck on that end. Opponents are shooting 36.1% from deep (275th) and 77.3% from the charity stripe (330th).
The rim is a no-fly zone, though, with monstrous Oswin Erhunmwunse (four blocks per game).
Wisconsin Basketball
Wisconsin has done exactly what you’d expect the Badgers to do thus far. They wiped the floor with four buy-game opponents, winning each contest by at least 25 points.
But the Badgers faceplanted badly in their first test last Friday, getting drilled by BYU, 98-70, in Salt Lake City.
They're banking on a bounce-back performance in San Diego.
The Badgers are actually two years ahead of Providence in the “offensive overhaul” department. In 2023, Greg Gard turned over the reins of the offense to former Badger Kirk Penney, and the New Zealander quickly sped up Wisconsin’s pace and introduced more dribble creation and ball-screen usage to the proceedings.
Penney is gone now (back home down under with his family), but Wisconsin is still playing fast (74th in possession length) and peppering foes with pick-and-rolls (97th percentile in pick-and-roll ball-handler frequency, per Synergy).
Nick Boyd and John Blackwell are the Badgers’ engines. Boyd, the southpaw, has been brilliant in his third collegiate stop (FAU and San Diego State previously), facilitating the offense while also creating for himself at a high rate (45th nationally in usage rate). The Badgers collapsed against BYU when he got in foul trouble.
Blackwell, meanwhile, had a day to forget in Salt Lake City, but he's had two separate games of 24+ points already.
Contrary to the offense, he Badgers’ defensive system has remained consistent over the years. Gard has carried over the disciplined defensive shell from Bo Ryan’s tenure, playing man-to-man come hell or high water.
That's largely worked, and few teams are as consistent on that end of the floor. Blackwell is a glove on the opponent’s best perimeter player, and Nolan Winter is a bastion of verticality around the rim.
Providence vs. Wisconsin Betting Analysis
My first thought here is to the over. Both teams really want to push the pace offensively, and both offenses are currently better than both defenses.
The variety of perimeter weapons on both sides makes it extremely difficult for a defense to focus on taking away one player – even when factoring in how good Boyd and Edwards are/have been.
Obviously, the total is sky-high, but it's reasonable to me. The pace could be even higher than KenPom’s projection of 73 possessions, and both teams have routes to scoring.
From a side perspective, Wisconsin, in a bounce back spot after the BYU demolition, is appealing to me. I also believe more in the Badgers’ transition defense than the Friars’, and that could be a pivotal point as both teams look to run.
Blackwell is the best perimeter defender in this game, and he could cut the head off the Friars’ snake if he frustrates the smaller Edwards.
I’ll shy away from the over, despite leaning that way, and push my chips in on the Badgers. I think they're better-coached, and I like buying somewhat low after their BYU debacle.
This is still a good team with a lot of offensive options.
My Pick: Wisconsin -5.5 (Play to -7)
