The college basketball season goes on Wednesday night with the marquee Big East showdown at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, as the No. 13 Creighton Bluejays welcome the No. 22 Xavier Musketeers.
The visitors are still undefeated this season, but the Musketeers were beaten twice by the Bluejays in 2020. Therefore, I expect to see a tremendous battle Wednesday in Omaha, bringing you the best Xavier versus Creighton betting pick along with the latest odds update.
The Musketeers are coming off their first Big East win
The Xavier Musketeers are 8-0 on the season and 1-0 in the conference play following a 91-88 victory over the Marquette Golden Eagles this past Sunday. The Musketeers tallied their seventh straight victory on the home court and covered a 2.5-point spread to improve to 5-3 ATS on the season.
They played just once on the road this term and outlasted the Cincinnati Bearcats 77-69 as 3-point underdogs. Xavier is 5-2 straight up and ATS in its last seven outings on the road and 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS in its previous six showings as a dog.
The Musketeers are now No. 22 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 48 in the latest KenPom rankings. They score 112.1 points per 100 possessions (13th in the country) on 51.2% shooting from the field (20th) while surrendering 96.1 points in a return (88th) on 38.5% shooting (51st).
Four Xavier players average points in double digits, but keep your eyes on sophomore forward Zach Freemantle (17.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG) and senior guard Paul Scruggs (16.4 PPG, 7.0 APG).
The Bluejays successfully wrapped up a two-game road trip
The Creighton Bluejays are 6-2 on the season and 2-1 in the Big East play after a 76-74 overtime victory at the UConn Huskies this past Sunday, overcoming a poor shooting night. Creighton is 34th in the country in 3-point attempts per game (27.3) and 55th in 3-point percentage (38.1%), but the Bluejays made only 25.9% of their 3-pointers against the Huskies (7-for-27).
Still, the Bluejays tallied their second straight win, bouncing back from a painful 89-84 defeat to Marquette on December 14. Creighton is 11-1 straight up and 8-4 ATS in its last 12 outings on the home court.
The Bluejays are No. 13 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 14 in the KenPom rankings. They have the fifth-best offensive rating in the country (115.5) and 59th-best defensive rating (94.0). Junior guard Marcus Zegarowski averages 14.3 points, 3.8 boards, and 5.4 dimes per game, while senior guard Denzel Mahoney adds 15.3 points and 5.1 rebounds a night.
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”ncaab/creighton” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
Xavier:
- 3-6 ATS in the last nine road games against Creighton
Creighton:
- 14-6 ATS in the last 20 games overall
- 12-5 ATS in the last 17 home contests
The Winner Prediction
The Bluejays opened as 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings, and I don’t feel comfortable with it at all. Therefore, I would buy a couple of points and bet on the hosts to win and cover a 4.5-point spread.
This should be a very tight contest. Neither side can brag with a stout D, but both teams have plenty of dangerous offensive weapons. Furthermore, this will be the battle of the two excellent backcourts, so I have a hard time separating them and picking the best wager. Honestly, I think the totals are a much better choice in this clash.
Creighton has won its last two games against Xavier and covered on both occasions.
Pick: Take Creighton -4.5 at -160
The Total:
The under is 7-0-1 in the last eight encounters between Xavier and Creighton. However, nine of the Musketeers’ last 11 games went in the over including the previous three, while the over has hit in Creighton’s last four games at home. Also, the over is 6-1 in the Bluejays’ last seven tilts overall.
Both Xavier and Creighton have executed offensively very well so far, so I’m taking the over on the totals as my top betting pick here. The Musketeers like to play at a slow pace, but the Bluejays should speed up the tempo, and I’ve already mentioned that Creighton heavily leans on its 3-point shooting.
Pick: Go over 153.5 points at -110
