Creighton vs Tennessee March Madness Lines for the Game: Sweet 16 Betting

 

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The highest-ranked team in action around college basketball Wednesday is No. 8 Creighton from the Big East and the Bluejays could be an upset alert as they face a struggling but dangerous UNLV team from the Mountain West, with the Rebs as dogs on the NCAAB odds in the Jack Jones Classic. It’s technically a neutral-site game in Las Vegas. 2023 NCAA Basketball Betting & Expert Analysis #8 Creighton vs. UNLV | MyBookie Sportsbook College Basketball Regular Season: November 6, 2023 – March 17, 2024 | Week 6 NCAAB

How to Bet Creighton vs. UNLV NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info

When: Wednesday, 9 PM ET
Where: Dollar Loan Center, Henderson, Nev.
TV: CBS Sports Network
Stream: Paramount+
Radio: Tunein.com
Opening NCAAB Lines: Creighton -14.5 (total 148)

Last Meeting

UNLV owns a 2-1 lead in the series against Creighton, with each meeting have taken place in Las Vegas. The last time the teams met, UNLV won 90-59 on Dec. 23, 1987 as part of the Rebel Round-Up. Creighton coach Greg McDermott has never faced UNLV, nor coached against Rebs coach Kevin Kruger.

Why Bet on Creighton Bluejays?

Creighton (8-1) is among the favorites to win the Big East and its only loss was by 21 to a good Colorado State team. The Bluejays come off their third straight win Saturday, 109-64 over Central Michigan. The Bluejays came out firing from the jump as Creighton opened the game on a 13-2 run over the first 3:32, Mason Miller connected twice from beyond the arc to spur the charge. Later in the frame the Bluejays used a 9-0 surge, including the final seven from Traudt to push their lead to 31-14 (9:46). In the final minute of the opening half Miller delivered a four-point play to give Creighton a 56-34 (0:26) edge before a final bucket from the Chippewas sent the teams to the locker at 56-36. The game was over then. Creighton’s 109 total points are tied for 12th-most in program history, and its most since Dec. 20, 2017 when it put 116 points on USC Upstate.

Isaac Traudt led six Bluejays in double figures with 18 points. Miller finished with 17 points, while Ryan Kalkbrenner and Trey Alexander each had 15 points. Rounding the group was Frederick King with 14 and Baylor Scheierman at 13 points. Scheierman also dished a career-high nine assists, part of a Bluejay effort that featured 28 helpers against just nine turnovers. Creighton shot 65.1 percent for the game and made 15-of-31 three-point tries while also winning the rebounding battle 40-25. Creighton’s bench also outscored CMU’s 47-8.

Kalkbrenner (1,303) moved past Marcus Foster (1,292) and Marcus Zegarowski (1,293) and is now tied with Elton Tuttle (1,303) for 21st on Creighton’s all-time scoring list. Creighton’s starting line-up combined for 22 assists and just one turnover. The team is 8-1 (or better) after nine games for the fifth time in 14 seasons under Greg McDermott.

Creighton moved up two spots to eighth in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, tying a season-best in the writer’s rankings. It’s the 100th time that the Bluejays have been ranked in the AP poll under McDermott. This marks the 27th time in program history that Creighton has been in the AP Top 10 at any point, with all but one of those weeks happening during McDermott’s tenure. Creighton’s best AP ranking in program history is seventh, done five times (Jan. 16, 2017, March 10, 2020, March 18, 2020, Jan. 7, 2021 and Nov. 28, 2022).

The Bluejays boast an offense that shoots 51.3 percent from the floor and 40.2 percent from three-point land while draining a nation-leading 12.6 three-pointers per contest, which contributes to CU’s 86.8 points per game. The Jays also have outrebound foes by 11.2 caroms per contest. CU’s defense has held teams to 63.4 points per game and allowed opponents to make just 39 three-pointers all year.

Bet Creighton to Win
MyBookie Betting Lines for NCAAB

Why Bet on UNLV Rebels?

UNLV (3-4) has played a pretty tough schedule and that in part helps explain the 3-4 mark. The Rebs last played Friday and lost 78-75 at home to Loyola Marymount. UNLV trailed by five points with 31 seconds to play (76-71). Dedan Thomas Jr.’s jumper cut the deficit to three with 27 seconds left and then a Luis Rodriguez steal and dunk trimmed it to just one point with 12 seconds to go. LMU missed both of its free-throw opportunities with 10 seconds remaining, but Thomas Jr. missed the potential game-winning floater from inside the free throw line with three seconds left. LMU made two free throws with one second to go for the final margin.

Thomas tied a season high with 17 points, while Kalib Boone added 15 points and a season-high five blocks for the Runnin’ Rebels. Isaiah Cottrell scored 14 and Justin Webster had 10 points. Jalen Hill, UNLV’s leading rebounder, was out with a wrist injury. Hill will be sidelined for the foreseeable future with a wrist injury. The Oklahoma transfer and Las Vegas native leads the team in rebounding (6.8 rebounds per game) and ranks third in scoring (11.5 points per game). Hill is also second in blocks (four), steals (seven) and field-goal percentage (53.3 percent).

“You’ve got a guy who played 100-plus games over the last four years,” Kevin Kruger said. “So you lose a lot of experience, but it’ll be a great opportunity for some guys to step up, get some playing time.”

Hill joins a growing list of injured Rebels. Junior wing Shane Nowell hasn’t played this season while recovering from a foot injury. Kruger said the Arizona transfer was inching closer to a return last week and said Nowell was out of his protective boot.

Four Rebels average double-figure points, a quartet led by Kalib Boone (14.0 ppg., 2.5 bpg.). Others in that grouping include Dedan Thomas Jr. (11.7 ppg.., 6.1 apg.), Luis Rodriguez (11.6 ppg., 6.1 rpg.) and Hill (11.5 ppg., 6.8 rpg.). UNLV has made at least one 3-pointer in a NCAA-record 1,200 straight games.

UNLV averages 73.0 points per game on 47.3 percent shooting from the field, 33.8 percent marksmanship from deep and 69.6 percent accuracy at the line. The Rebels allow 74.4 points per game and have been outrebounded by 2.9 caroms per contest. UNLV features seven returners from last year’s team along with seven newcomers. The newcomers are made up of three Division I transfers, a junior college transfer and three freshmen. UNLV has 10 upperclassmen, including five fifth-year seniors.

The Runnin’ Rebels return two starters in Rodriguez and Justin Webster, who averaged 10.7 and 8.2 points per game last season, respectively. Rodriguez led last season’s team in rebounding (5.7 rpg).

Bet UNLV to Win
MyBookie Betting Lines for NCAAB

College Basketball Expert Prediction #8 Creighton vs UNLV

Creighton 86, UNLV 76

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The Duke Blue Devils and Tennessee Volunteers beat their first round opponents on Thursday night to set up a massive Saturday contest. The game takes place at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida and is the second game on the NCAA Tournament schedule. Will 4-seed Tennessee prevail? Or will Duke take their winning streak to 11 games?

We will now preview the game plus our betting prediction for this Round of 64 contest. Keep reading for college basketball betting lines, analysis, and a free pick for Duke vs. Tennessee.

2023 March Madness Round of 64 Game
No. 5 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers Betting Preview

Duke of Atlantic Coast meets Tennessee of SEC in NCAA Tourney Second Round
ATS Odds: Duke -3
Moneyline Odds: Duke +151 / Tennessee -124
Over/Under Odds: 129 -110
When: Saturday, March 18 at 2:40 pm ET
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, FL
TV / Streaming: TBS

Why Bet on No. 4 Tennessee versus No. 5 Duke?

The Vols didn’t come close to covering the spread against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in their first NCAA March Madness Tournament game. The Vols beat the Ragin’ Cajuns by 3 points in a stunningly close 58-55 matchup.

But although Tennessee almost fell to Louisiana, we should look past the Vols’ chances of upsetting Duke. The Tennessee Volunteers arn’t flashy but they know what they are.

The Vols have the best defense in the nation based on field goal percentage and 3-pt percentage allowed. Tennessee’s D will frustrate Duke all night.

Why Bet on No. 5 Duke versus No. 4 Tennessee?

In their first tournament game, Duke rolled to an easy 74-51 victory. The Duke Blue Devils played exceptional defense when holding Oral Roberts, the third highest scoring team in the nation, to 33 fewer points then Oral Roberts’ 84 per game average.

Not only that, but Duke’s offense was on fire. If the Duke team that showed up on Thursday night shows up on Saturday, forget it. The Dookies will put this one in the bag by halftime.

Duke Blue Devils vs Tennessee Volunteers Betting Odds and Prediction

Visually, Duke is the more impressive team. But Duke isn’t necessarily a slam dunk to cover the spread.

Tennessee held Louisiana to 40% from the field and 33% from three. The victory was ugly for sure. It showed, though, that the Vols are going to lean on their defense during this tournament.

Duke will have a much tougher time scoring against Tennessee than the Blue Devils did versus the Golden Eagles of Oral Roberts. Still, Duke is the pick against the spread.

Plenty of times versus Oral Roberts, Duke played in a half court set. The Blue Devils can get it done no matter the pace of the game. Also, Tennessee will be without their best guard, Zakai Zeigler. The Blue Devils win and cover.

March Madness Pick: Duke -3 | Bet Duke vs. Tennessee Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

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As week six comes to a close we are in for an absolutely insane weekend of college basketball. There are big slates and big matchups on the horizon and here are a couple games that should draw your attention as money making opportunities. Let’s get right to it so you don’t miss your chance to bet on the College Basketball Lines.

Men’s College Basketball Betting Picks & Options for the Best Games (Dec. 16th & 18th)

Friday December 16th: Creighton Blue Jays at Marquette Golden Eagles O/U 154

When it comes to college basketball some programs just have certain reputations. Iowa doesn’t get out of the first round of the tournament, while Gonzaga doesn’t ever win the title. As far as in-season inconsistency no two programs are labeled as inconsistent more often than Marquette and Creighton. The Blue Jays are taking it to a whole new level this season as they started the season 6-0 before losing five consecutive games.

Marquette is 7-3 this season with no bad losses while logging victories over Notre Dame and Baylor. The Golden Eagles are one of the few teams that have hung with #1 Purdue this season and appear to be establishing themselves as more consistent than their history has displayed.

Marquette’s success has been mostly due to their phenomenally efficient offense this season while Creighton is also capable offensively with a stable of perimeter talent. The Blue Jays will also likely play without reigning Big East DPOY Ryan Kalkbrenner again which suggests a higher scoring game. Neither team is to be trusted as far as a result as both are stunningly mediocre ATS while Marquette is 6-1 against the total at home this season and Creighton has gone over in two of their last three games. Take the over.

Sunday December 18th: Iona Gaels at New Mexico Lobos (-1)

As if there wasn’t plenty of intrigue surrounding this game to begin with, the fact that both programs are likely NCAA Tournament level teams just adds to the fun.

Richard Pitino will put his perfect 10-0 record on the line against his father, Rick Pitino, on Sunday when New Mexico hosts Iona. The Lobos boast a sparkling record that features a resume’ building victory over Saint Mary’s this season while the Gaels are 7-2 with a victory over Saint Louis.

The elder Pitino’s largest challenge will be slowing down Lobos star forward Jamal Mashburn Jr, whose father was the best player on Kentucky’s 1993 Final Four team coached by…Rick Pitino.

Richard Pitino has had success at New Mexico as a home underdog going 6-2-1 against the spread and are outperforming the anticipated margin by +2.2 points per game. Their margin of victory in those games however is -2.9 points. This season, the total has gone over in four of the Lobos’ six home games.

Iona is not excellent at any particular aspect of the game as far as scoring or defense but they have been effective. The main proponent to their success comes down to their ability to take care of the basketball. The Gaels are +59 in turnovers on the season and rank 11th in offensive turnover percentage. Of course, the Lobos rank eighth in the same metric so it becomes a situation of who do you trust more. Given their track records, you have to go with Senior here even on the road. Look for Iona to get the big road victory and the Lobos to fall for the first time this season.

 

 

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Important game in the Big East on Wednesday night as second-place and 17^th-ranked Creighton visits third-place Seton Hall with both trying to catch Villanova atop the standings. The Pirates will be favored for this one on the NCAAB odds.

How to Bet Creighton at Seton Hall NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info

When: Wednesday, 7 PM ET
Where: Prudential Center, Newark
TV: Fox Sports 1
Stream: Fox Sports Go
Radio:com
Opening NCAAB Lines: TBA (Seton Hall should be a slight favorite)

Last Meeting

These teams met on Jan. 6 in Omaha and Creighton rolled 89-53. It was coach Kevin Willard’s most lopsided defeat in his 11 seasons at Seton Hall. Damien Jefferson had 19 points, Denzel Mahoney had 14 points and Marcus Zegarowski added 11 for the Bluejays, who shot 59.6% overall and 54.2% on 3-pointers, both season highs. The Bluejays made their first seven shots and led 17-4 less than five minutes in. Jefferson started 7 for 8 from the field, and his 3-pointer gave Creighton its biggest lead of the first half, 32-19. Sandro Mamukelashvili led the Pirates with 14 points and Jared Rhoden had 10. Their 33% shooting from the field was their worst of the season, and their 16.7% accuracy on 3s (3 of 18) was a season low.

Why Bet on Creighton? | 2021 NCAA Basketball Expert Analysis

Creighton (11-4) ended a two-game slide with a 74-66 win over No. 23 UConn on Saturday. Creighton, which came into the game 10 of its last 46 on 3s, missed its first five shots from distance and finished just 6 of 20. They shot 58% from the field in the second half and avoided their first three-game losing streak since February 2019.

“We couldn’t guard them in the second half and they kind of torched us,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “We competed hard and we were all over the backboard. Just had a hard time scoring. When they’re cooking, they’re one of the best offensive teams in the country.”

Creighton was led by 20 points from Denzel Mahoney, while Marcus Zegarowski added 15. UConn was led by 14 points from RJ Cole. The Huskies owned a 42-27 edge on the glass but converted 18 offensive rebounds into just 12 second-chance points.

Creighton made 16-of-22 shots in the paint, while UConn made just 11-of-28 shots from the paint. Creighton is now 30-3 in its last 33 home games. The Bluejays became the first Big East team to beat UConn multiple times in the same season since Syracuse went 3-0 against the Huskies in 2011-12.

Creighton has now beaten multiple top-25 teams in each of the last seven seasons. Creighton is 18-16 since the start of the 2016-17 season vs. ranked teams. Those 18 wins are 15th-most nationally.

Zegarowski was one of 10 candidates announced Monday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for the 2021 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. The junior leads Creighton with 4.5 assists per game and is second on the team with 14.4 points per contest. His 36 three-pointers are one shy of the Big East lead.

CU’s only four losses have come by a combined 14 points, with each coming by five points or less. Creighton leads the Big East with 80.6 points per game and is also tops in field goal percentage (.491) and field goal percentage defense (.397).

Why Bet on Seton Hall? | 2021 NCAA Basketball Expert Analysis

The Pirates haven’t played since a Jan. 19 76-74 loss at No. 3 Villanova. Cole Swider hit the winning free throw with 1.9 seconds left. Seton Hall’s last-gasp desperation pass was bobbled out of bounds by Sandro Mamukelashvili. The 6-foot-11 Mamukelashvili had an open look and could have dunked the go-ahead bucket with a clean catch.

“Disappointment, anger. I was right there and it didn’t work out, but it happens,” Mamukelashvili said after. “I can’t really explain it because I’m feeling a lot of emotions right now.”

Mamukelashvili scored a game-high 23 points and added nine rebounds and five assists. Jared Rhoden had a huge first half and finished with 19 points. The Pirates edged out the Wildcats in rebounding, 29-27, and in paint points, 36-30. The Pirates had 17 assists on their 29 made field goals and committed only 13 turnovers. Villanova was slightly more efficient with 15 assists on 26 made field goals and only nine turnovers.

Graduate senior Bryce Aiken returned sooner than expected from his latest ankle injury, but was held scoreless in 10 minutes. Aiken reinjured his ankle Jan. 6 at Creighton and has appeared in just eight contests this year after transferring from Harvard.

Despite the loss, the Pirates have still won eight of their last 11. Mamukelashvili moved up to 52nd all-time in Seton Hall scoring history and now stands at 903 career points. Myles Cale moved up to 61st all-time and now stands at 847 career points.

Seton Hall leads the all-time series with Creighton 14-9, including a 9-4 advantage in Newark. Three of the last 15 meetings at all sites have been one-point contests, including the 2014 and 2015 matchups in Omaha.

Expert College Basketball Prediction

Seton Hall 75, Creighton 74

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Sixth-ranked Tennessee will look to bounce back from an embarrassing loss the last time out when they host 19th-ranked Missouri on Saturday. While the Vols are ranked inside the national top 10, Tennessee looked nothing like a legitimate national championship contender they last time they took the court. Missouri, on the other hand, has continued to surprise and will look to extend its winning ways in the SEC showdown on Saturday.

Okay, let’s find out where the best college basketball betting value lies in this Missouri Vs Tennessee affair so you can make your bets against their College Basketball odds.

College Basketball Betting predictions – No. 19 Missouri at No. 6 Tennessee

No. 19 Missouri (8-2) at No. 6 Tennessee (10-1)

When: Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 at 8:30 PM ET
Where: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN
TV: SECN
NCAAB Odds: TBD

Tigers Anything But Tame!

Missouri (7-4 ATS) has won two straight including its 81-70 home win over South Carolina on Tuesday night. 6-10 senior forward Jeremiah Tilmon had a double-double with19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the way to victory. Tilmon came into the night shooting an SEC-leading 74.0 percent from the field.

“I’ve just continued to let the game come to me,” Tilmon said. “I’m still not forcing anything. I’ve been the same player since the beginning of the season, I would say. Things are just being better for me, I guess.”

Missouri jumped out to a 10-lead an never led by less than five for the remainder of the game. Dru Smith averaged 14.6 points in his first five games, then scored just six points in each of his next three games. Senior guard Mark Smith scored 18 points while senior backcourt mate Dru Smith added 16 points.

“You want to get up and down and play, you want to have some excitement,” Tigers coach Cuonzo Martin said. “The key is you have to continue to grow in that role and how you play that way, that pace you play. But you’ve got to still be tough defensively to get stops.”

Mizzou is averaging 72.4 points per game on 45.8 percent shooting from the field and 27.9 percent from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Tigers have been mostly phenomenal in limiting the opposition to just 66.6 points per game on 39.3 percent shooting from the field (34th) and 27.4 percent from beyond the arc (14th).

Vols Looking To Bounce Back

Tennessee (8-4 ATS) might be sixth in the AP poll, but the Volunteers looked completely overmatched in its stunning 75-49 road loss against Florida on Tuesday. Senior forward John Fulkerson was the only player to reach double figures in scoring with a team-high 15 points. Unfortunately, Tennessee was limited to a pitiful 17-for-58 (29.3%) shooting night while going 3-for-18 (16.7%) from beyond the mark. Afterward, head coach Rick Barnes was mostly pissed!

“I can tell you this. I don’t know what it’s going to be, but I will change our lineup,” Barnes said. “It will be changed, because I’m not going to let anybody take anything for granted, thinking, ‘Hey, we’re just going to walk out there and play and show up and think we’re good enough.’ That’s what I felt tonight.”

Tennessee is averaging 74.8 points per game in 45.3 percent shooting from the field and 33.2 percent from three-point distance. The Volunteers are ranked fifth in the nation in points allowed (58.7 ppg), while limiting the opposition to 39.5 percent shooting from the field and 30.4 percent from downtown.

Expert Analysis and Prediction

Tennessee might have the higher national ranking and the Vols might be playing at home, but it is Missouri that is playing with ‘house money’ in this SEC showdown. Mizzou has gone 3-1 ATS over its last four games and 8-4 ATS over its last 12 games overall. The Tigers are 4-2 ATS in its last six games against their SEC rivals and 4-1 ATS in their last five Saturday games. Tennessee is 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings in this rivalry, but just 2-4 ATS in its last six games in the month of January and 2-3 ATS over its last five games overall.

I know Tennessee beat Missouri 73-53 on Dec. 30 and I’m expecting a much better effort from Tennessee in this matchup after their pitiful performance the last time out. However, this time around I like Missouri to get the outright road win as Jeremiah Tilmon should be the best player on the floor in this affair.

Pick: Missouri 73 Tennessee 70

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The sixth-ranked Kentucky Wildcats will be looking to extend their winning ways when they host a Tennessee Volunteers squad that is looking to find the consistency that has eluded them all season long. With the Cats looking toward the SEC Tournament and ensuing March Madness national championship tournament and Tennessee completely desperate right now, let’s find out which team is offering the best value against their College Basketball Odds for the Tennessee vs Kentucky matchup.

Tennessee vs Kentucky 2020 College Basketball Game Preview & Betting Odds

When: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at 9:00 PM ET
Where: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, Lexington, KY
TV: ESPN
NCAAB Odds: Kentucky -8.5 / Total: 131

Why Bet On Tennessee

The Vols snapped a two-game skid by getting past Florida 63-58 on Sunday despite being 6-point home underdogs against the Gators. Freshman guard Josiah-Jordan James led the way to victory by scoring 12 points while adding eight rebounds and six assists.

“I feel like it makes the game easier for a lot of people on both ends of the court, especially on the offense and not pressure on the other four starters,” James told reporters when asked about playing his best. “It allows them to play more freely. Just being in attack mode and trying to find others, definitely opens up the floor.”

Tennessee averages 66.7 points per game (296th) while allowing 63.2 points per game defensively (31st). The Volunteers have gone an uninspiring 3-7 on the road this season.

Why Bet On Kentucky

The Wildcats have won eight straight and claimed their 49th regular season SEC title by pulling out a hard-fought 73-66 win over Auburn to cover the spread as a 5.5-point home favorite as sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley scored a team-high 18 points while adding 12 rebounds.

“I think a lot of people doubted us early,” Quickley told the media. “We lost a couple tough games in Vegas and people were questioning us if we could get to this point, questioning if we could eventually get a Final Four or a championship or something like that. But we stayed faithful to the grind and trusted the process and we’re here now.”

Kentucky averages 74.6 points per game (90th) while allowing 65.4 points per game defensively (70th). The Wildcats have gone a stellar 16-1 at home this season.

Tennessee vs Kentucky Expert Analysis and Prediction

Kentucky smacked Tennessee around en route to a 77-64 win in Tennessee on Feb. 8 and I’m fully expecting the Wildcats to record another double-digit win in this matchup at home. The Volunteers are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up win while Kentucky has gone 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall and 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as a favorite. The Wildcats are firing on all cylinders right now and Tennessee just can’t find the consistency they need in order to take down an elite title contender like the Wildcats. Kentucky wins by double digits to cover the chalk!

Pick: Kentucky 78 Tennessee 67

 

 

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The 23rd-ranked Creighton Bluejays likely won’t have any problem beating the reeling DePaul Blue Demons when they square off in their Big East battle on Friday, making the only real question surrounding this affair whether or not the Bluejays will cover the NCAA basketball spreads.

Let’s find out now, what’s going to go down at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois at 2:00 PM ET.

DePaul Blue Demons At Creighton Bluejays Spread, Betting Pick & TV Info

When: Saturday, February 11 at 2:00 PM ET
Where: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois

Why Bet The DePaul Blue Demons

There are three good reasons to bet on the Blue Demons (8-16 SU, 8-15 ATS) in this contest. DePaul is playing at home, they’re completely and utterly desperate and they’ll likely be getting at least 10 points as a home dog against the superior Bluejays. Unfortunately, DePaul averages a modest 70.0 points per game to rank just 257th in scoring while simultaneously allowing 73.5 points per game defensively to rank 218th nationally.

The Blue Demons do have a trio of players that average double digits in scoring, starting with leading scorer Eli Cain (16.5 ppg). DePaul is coming off a 72-61 loss to No. 22 Xavier on Wednesday night but managed to cover the spread as a 14.5-point road underdog to move to 3-4 ATS over their last seven games.

Why Bet The Creighton Bluejays

The Bluejays (20-4 SU, 15-7 ATS) were on the wrong end of a heartbreaking 82-80 home loss to Xavier while failing to cover the spread as a 5-point favorite. While Creighton has their modest two-game winning streak snapped, I believe that will serve as more motivation for the Bluejays to dispatch DePaul even more forcefully.

The Jayhawks are 7-3 over their last 10 games and are ranked a stellar 16th in scoring (84.7 ppg) while allowing 72.5 points per game defensively (191st). Four players average double figures in scoring, including guard Marcus Foster’s team-high 18.0 points per game.

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

DePaul has gone 8-6 at home while Creighton has gone a near-perfect 6-1 in seven road dates this season. More importantly, the Bluejays beat the Blue Demons 83-66 the last time they visited DePaul as a 16-point road favorite and I believe another similar beating is in store this time around. Expect Creighton to be favored by approximately 15 points, but don’t worry, the high-scoring Jays will cover it with just a bit of room to spare.

My final score prediction is Creighton 88 DePaul 69

 

 

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The 12th-seeded Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders will look to pull off the classic, 12-seed vs. 5-seed upset when they take on the fifth-seeded Minnesota Gophers in their West Region opener on Thursday.

Now, let’s find out where the NCAA basketball odds value in this intriguing opening round matchup lies.

A Closer Look At The Blue Raiders Vs Gophers Betting Prediction, Pick & TV Info

When: Thursday, March 16, 2017 at 4:00 PM ET
Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TV: TNT
NCAAB Odds: Minnesota -1

Why Bet The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders Odds at +1

There are plenty of good reasons to back the Blue Raiders starting with the fact that the Middle Tennessee is on fire, having won 10 straight games including their 83-72 win over Marshall in the Conference USA tournament championship game.

Middle Tennessee State averages a respectable 75.0 points per game (129th) but shoot a stellar 49.0 percent from the field to rank 12th nationally. Even better, the Blue Raiders limit the opposition to just 63.3 points per game (21st) on 41.7 percent shooting from the field (71st) and 31.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc (42nd). Middle Tennessee State has a trio of double-digit scorers on their roster including leading scorer JaCorey Williams (17.3 ppg).

“We’re excited,” senior forward Reggie Upshaw said in school news release Sunday. “Every year you see a 12-5 upset, and to have that 12 seed, we know the history behind it. There’s nothing but excitement from us, because we know what we can do when we get into the national spotlight in the NCAA Tournament.”

Why Bet The Minnesota Gophers Odds at -1

Despite the fact that Minnesota has dropped two of its last three games, the Golden Gophers completed the best win-total turnaround (plus-16) in Division I college hoops this season while punching its first ticket to the Big Dance in four years.

Minnesota Golden averages a modest 75.3 points per game (123rd) but shoots just 43.5 percent from the field (235th) and 34.5 percent from beyond the arc (202nd). Defensively, the Gophers limit the opposition to 69.1 points per game (97th) while forcing their opponents into a dismal 39.8 percent shooting mark from the field (16th). The Gophers also have three double-digit scorers on the roster in Nate Mason (15.5 ppg).

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

A convincing 64 percent of the betting public likes Middle Tennessee to get the ATS cover and I believe the Blue Raiders will do so as well – by beating the Gophers outright!

The Blue Raiders went 2-0 against their only major-conference foes (Vanderbilt and Ole Miss) this season and that’s a great barometer of how they’ll fare against Minnesota in this matchup. Middle Tennessee has also gone 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS in a half-dozen neutral site games this season while Minnesota has gone 2-1 SU and ATS in their three neutral site games this season.

The Blue Raiders are 9-0 ATS in their last 9 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600 while posting a bankroll-boosting 21-7 ATS mark in their last 28 games overall.

Minnesota is a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five games against teams from the Conference USA and an impressive 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall, but I love the way Middle Tennessee is playing right now and believe they’ll get the outright win because of their edge in defense.

My final score prediction is Middle Tennessee State 69 Minnesota 64

 

 

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With the Creighton Bluejays struggling mightily and fifth-ranked Xavier looking to bounce back from a stunning loss in their last contest, I believe the Musketeers are a virtual lock selection to take down their Big East rival and improve their chances of getting a high seed in the quickly approaching March Madness championship tournament. Now, let’s find out how much the Musketeers are going to win this College Hoops betting contest by.

How to Bet the Creighton vs. Xavier NCAAB Odds & TV Info

When: Saturday March 5, 2:30 PM ET
Where: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
TV: FOX, FSN
NCAAB Odds: TBA

Why Bet the Creighton Bluejays

Creighton (18-12 SU, 17-12 ATS) doesn’t look like a really good pick in this contest seeing as how they’ve lost three of their last four games including their narrow 70-66 loss against Providence as a 3-point road dog on Wednesday.

The Bluejays got a team-high 26 points from James Milliken but only one other player reached double figures in scoring in the loss. The Bluejays are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 games following an SU loss and average 79.3 points per game while allowing 71.9 points per contest defensively.

Why Bet the Xavier Musketeers

The Musketeers (25-4 SU, 18-11 ATS) look like a great pick because they got stunned the last time out. Just one game after beating No. 1 Villanova, Xavier had their four-game winning streak snapped in their shocking 90-81 loss against Seton Hall on Monday while failing to cover the spread as a 1.5-point road favorite.

Guard Trevon Bluiett, the Big East Conference’s Player of the Week and forward James Farr both scored 17 points to lead Xavier. “To me the last eight minutes of the (first) half was our undoing,” Xavier coach Chris Mack said. “We were down four or five points, we missed a couple of free throws and our inability to keep them off the glass and out of transition- that to me was the game.

The Musketeers are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games against a team with a winning straight up record and average 80.4 points per game while limiting the opposition to just 69.7 points per contest defensively.

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

While the Creighton Bluejays are certainly no pushovers, they are also facing an uphill battle in trying to beat a superior Xavier team that is going to bring its collective ‘A game after falling to Seton Hall the last time out. I know the Bluejays are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings, but the home team in this Big East rivalry is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings while Xavier has compiled a blistering 10-4 ATS mark in their last 14 home games.

If the point spread for this contest stays under a half-dozen points, I say back Xavier to win and cash in. If the spread tops six points, I like Creighton to cover.

My final score prediction: Xavier 78 Creighton 72