It will be a battle between Big East opponents when the Georgetown Hoyas (12-8, 2-5 Big East) welcome the No. 16 Butler Bulldogs (16-4, 4-3 Big East) to Capital One Arena. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
Butler opened as a 1.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 141 points at William Hill Sportsbook.
Butler Bulldogs vs. Georgetown Hoyas Free Prediction
In the Bulldogs’ last game, they defeated the Marquette Golden Eagles, 89-85, but they failed to cover as 6-point favorites. The combined points for the game (174) were well over the projected point total of 137. Butler was effective at getting and making free throws. The Bulldogs made 27 of their 31 free throws (87.1 percent), while the Golden Eagles were just 11-16 (68.8 percent). With 31 points on 10-for-25 shooting, Kamar Baldwin was the game’s leading scorer.
The Hoyas were beaten by the Xavier Musketeers in their last contest, 66-57. They failed to cover as 4-point underdogs. The total points for the game (123) were well under the projected point total of 147. Xavier won the rebounding battle. The Musketeers had more offensive rebounds (16 vs. seven), defensive rebounds (32 vs. 31) and total rebounds (48 vs. 38). With 19 points on 6-for-19 shooting, Mac McClung was the top scorer from either team.
It will be a battle of conflicting tempos as the up-tempo Hoyas (ranked 59th in the country in possessions per game) will look to push the more half-court-oriented Bulldogs (344th in possessions per game).
Butler holds records of 16-4 straight up (SU) and 11-8 against the spread (ATS). Of the Bulldogs’ 19 games with betting action, 10 have finished under the total.
Georgetown is 12-8 SU, but they are just 9-10-1 ATS. It’s tough to find a trend for Hoyas games in regards to the projected point total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under.
After splitting two games last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent matchup, the Bulldogs won 73-69. Butler’s 0.526 effective field goal percentage was its biggest advantage over Georgetown, who had a mark of 0.426.
Butler Bulldogs vs. Georgetown Hoyas Free Pick
Prediction:ย ย ATS Winner – Georgetown, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
Georgetown ranks 31st in blocks per game (4.7) while Butler ranks 155th (2.7).
Butler is 5-4 ATS on the road, while Georgetown is 5-6-1 ATS at home.
In its last five contests, Butler is 1-4 ATS with 5 overs.
Georgetown is 1-3-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over its last five games.
The Bulldogs have been outscored by an average of 4.0 points in their last five games. For the season, Butler has defeated opponents by an average of 9.9 points.
During their last five games, the Hoyas have scored an average of 74.6 points per game (3.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 75.2 points per game (1.9 above their season average).