NCAA Scores 2022: Odds, Spread Predictions, Betting Advice for Friday's Sweet 16

The Saint Peter's Peacocks are the third No. 15 seed to reach the second weekend of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. 

The first two No. 15 seeds to enter the Sweet 16 did not win their respective games, but they covered the point spread. 

Shaheen Holloway's team also holds the best record against the spread among the programs left in the Big Dance. 

Saint Peter's is the biggest underdog of the Sweet 16 for its matchup with the Purdue Boilermakers. The matchup against Purdue is not easy for Saint Peter's, but its defensive game plan from the first two victories could help it remain close in Philadelphia.

The Providence Friars are the second-largest point-spread underdog on Friday's four-game slate. The Big East regular-season champion will try to topple the final No. 1 seed left in the competition, the Kansas Jayhawks. 

Friday Sweet 16 Schedule and Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

No. 15 Saint Peter's vs. No. 3 Purdue (-12.5) (Over/Under: 133.5) (7:09 p.m. ET, CBS)

No. 4 Providence vs. No. 1 Kansas (-7.5) (O/U: 141.5) (7:29 p.m. ET, TBS) 

No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 4 UCLA (-2) (O/U: 141.5) (9:39 p.m. ET, CBS) 

No. 11 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Miami (-2.5) (O/U: 133) (9:59 p.m. ET, TBS) 

Predictions

No. 15 Saint Peter's (+12.5) vs. No. 3 Purdue

Saint Peter's needs to use its defensive strengths to hang with Purdue. 

Shaheen Holloway and his staff had five days to prepare a game plan to take on Jaden Ivey, a potential NBA draft lottery pick, and Zach Edey, who at 7'4" stands seven inches taller than the biggest Saint Peter's player. 

Saint Peter's easiest approach to taking on Edey would be to attack him with drives into the lane and get him into foul trouble. 

The Peacocks could also try to draw Edey out to the perimeter and take advantage of his lack of mobility when defending faster guards. 

KC Ndefo and the other Saint Peter's frontcourt players need to challenge Edey on the glass and prove why the Peacocks rank 64th in offensive rebounding on KenPom.

Second-chance opportunities will be vital for the Peacocks against a Purdue roster loaded with guards that can knock down three-point shots and create runs in an instant. 

Saint Peter's experience from playing the Kentucky Wildcats in the first round could help it a bit with its approach against Purdue. 

Kentucky has a handful of play-making guards and a dominant big man in Oscar Tshiebwe. Saint Peter's offense was able to go shot-for-shot with the No. 2 seed. 

The same could happen against Purdue since the Boilermakers rank 88th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom. That is the second-worst number of the 12 remaining NCAA tournament teams. 

If Saint Peter's guards can score on Purdue's defense, and Edey is taken out for a stretch or two, the Peacocks should cover. 

No. 4 Providence (+7.5) vs. No. 1 Kansas

Providence can put the final No. 1 seed left in the tournament under duress for 40 minutes. 

The Friars played some of the best basketball of the first weekend with wins over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits and Richmond Spiders. 

The 79-51 win over Richmond handed Providence plenty of confidence, and it should play loose as a heavy underdog in Sweet 16 terms against Kansas. 

Providence can gain an advantage by exploiting Kansas' one weakness in the starting five. David McCormack went 2-for-8 from the field and pulled down three rebounds in the second-round win over the Creighton Bluejays.

Creighton kept that game close by hitting 12 three-point shots and shooting 85.7 percent at the free-throw line. 

Providence can attack McCormick with Nate Watson and Noah Horchler to earn an edge on the boards. Its collection of guards could cut into the line and force Kansas' tallest player into foul trouble. 

Jared Bynum, AJ Reeves, Justin Minaya and Al Durham all face tough defensive assignments against Ochai Agbaji and the Kansas backcourt, but they should be up for the challenge. 

Providence has three losses since January 20. The Friars fell by a combined seven points in two games against the Villanova Wildcats and suffered a blowout loss to Creighton in the Big East tournament.

The Friars are well prepared to play in close games, and they will not show any fear going up against the top remaining seed in the tournament. 

Ed Cooley's team may not win, but it can certainly cover the 7.5-point spread given its penchant for playing in close games. Providence had eight games decided by five points or less from January 26-March 1 in Big East play. 

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