The Butler Bulldogs will take on the Providence Friars in the Big East Tournament on Thursday afternoon, and Butler comes in as the hotter team, winning seven of their last nine overall. The Friars on the other hand have lost five of their last nine. My money is on Butler plus the points.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Previous History - Butler has scored an average of 85 points on 46 percent shooting over it's last five games, and that's over 10 points higher than the Friars have averaged during the same span. The Friars have had their problems facing tough opposition, failing to cover in five of their last six versus teams with a winning record.

2. Three Point Shooting - Butler is one of the best in the Big East when it comes to perimeter shooting, and they averaged 38.3 percent from beyond the arc overall this season. They were even better on the road, hitting 40.7 percent. They hit 8-of-20 (40%) from beyond the arc in their win over Marquette on Saturday.
3. X-Factor - The Bulldogs are 46-19-1 ATS in their last 66 neutral site games.
Selection: This is a play on the Butler Bulldogs (10*)