The #9 Villanova Wildcats (7-3, 0-0 Big East) take the floor against the Creighton Blue Jays (8-3, 0-0 Big East) to begin Big East play Friday night. Both teams aim to rebound after being handed losses in their last outings.
Friday’s tipoff is at 8 p.m. EST inside the CHI Health Center in Omaha, NE. Villanova is a 6.5-point road favorite, and the over-under total is at 130.0 points.
What to Know – Villanova Wildcats
Villanova was on a roll before suffering a blowout loss to Baylor to begin the week. The Wildcats’ three losses this year have come to teams ranked in the top-10, but Villanova has yet to beat a ranked opponent.
Offensively, the Wildcats average 74.0 points per game while shooting 42.6% from the floor and 37.7% beyond the arc. Villanova’s defense holds opponents to 61.5 points, 40.8% shoot from the field, and 32.2% from three.
Villanova was held to a season-low 36 points in Sunday’s loss to Baylor. The Wildcats shot just 22.2% from the floor and hit only 6-of-27 3-point field goal attempts.
Justin Moore was the only Wildcat in double-digits, scoring 15 points in the 21-point defeat. Collin Gillespie and Caleb Daniels added six points apiece for Villanova.
Villanova is 5-5 against the spread this season, with a 2-3 mark ATS on the road. The total has gone under in five of the Wildcats’ last five contests.
What to Know – Creighton Blue Jays
The Blue Jays head into Big East play, having dropped two of their last three games, including a one-point loss to Arizona State at home on Tuesday night. Sandwiched in between those losses was a 12-point victory over the BYU Cougars.
Creighton’s offense scores 71.9 points per game on 48.2% shooting from the field and 30.3% shooting from the 3-point line. The Blue Jays surrender 65.4 points per game to opposing teams, allowing 39.7% shooting from the floor and 35.0% from three.
Three-point shooting was the downfall for the Blue Jays in their loss to the Sun Devils, hitting only 5-of-25 shots from the arc. Creighton fell behind by six points at the break and was unable to claw their way back in the non-conference battle.
Ryan Kalkbrenner led the Blue Jays in scoring with 16 points, finishing 6-of-7 from the field and grabbing nine rebounds. Alex O’Connell chipped in 11 points for the Blue Jays.
Creighton is 4-7 ATS on the year, and the Blue Jays are just 1-5 ATS at home. In eight of the Blue Jays’ first 11 games, the total has gone under.
The Pick is In
Big East play gets underway, and Friday night’s bout between Villanova and Creighton is sure to impress. These two teams expect to make deep runs into the postseason come March, so the work done in the early portion of the season will set a precedent for the remainder of the season.
Creighton hasn’t been great at home this season, but the Blue Jays have the talent to keep it close against the Wildcats at home. Give us the host and the points here.
Betting Pick: Creighton Blue Jays +6.5
