The Creighton Bluejays (22-8) travel to face off against the Villanova Wildcats (17-13) on Saturday, March 9th. This game will be played at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and televised on FOX. Creighton is coming off a win in their previous game, while Villanova is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Seton Hall. Tip-off is set for 2:30 ET.
Creighton Bluejays vs Villanova Wildcats
The Creighton Bluejays Are Coming Off A Win
Creighton is favored by one point on the road against Villanova. The Bluejays have a record of 22-8 this season, including a 13-6 mark in Big East play. They have won two straight games and have gone 21-6 as the favorite this year.
On the road, Creighton has gone 8-5, and their average scoring margin is +6.8 points per game. In their last game, they defeated Marquette by a score of 89-75. Over their last 10 road games, the Bluejays have gone 5-5.
Creighton’s ATS record for the season is 16-14, but they are 15-12 vs. the spread when favored. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Bluejays have gone 5-5 vs. the spread. On the road, Creighton has an ATS mark of 8-5 this year and they are 2-1 vs. the spread in their last 3 road games.
This season, the over/under record for Creighton is 15-15 and today’s line of 137 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (148.8). However, over their last three games, the average scoring total is 153 points and their OU record during this stretch is 2-1. On the year, 22 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line.
The Villanova Wildcats Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
At home this season, Villanova has been fantastic. With an average scoring margin of +11.1 points per game, they have gone 12-5 in their 17 games. Over their last ten games at home, they are 7-3, and they have won four straight.
So far this season, Villanova has been the underdog in nine games, going 3-6 in those matchups. Overall, they are 17-13, and they are coming off a 66-56 loss to Seton Hall.
As the underdog, Villanova has gone 4-4-1 against the spread this season. Their overall ATS record is 16-13-1, including an 11-6 mark at home. Over their last three games as the underdog, the Wildcats are 1-1-1 vs. the spread.
Today’s over/under line of 137 is lower than the average over/under line in Villanova’s games this season (139). This year, 17 of their games have finished with less points than today’s OU line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 0-3 and the average scoring total in those games is 124 points.
Creighton Offense Breakdown
Creighton finished with 89 points in their game against Marquette. This total surpasses their season-average of 81.2 points per game. The top scorer for the Bluejays was Baylor Scheierman with 26 points, while Ryan Kalkbrenner also added 19 to the scoreboard.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor Scheierman (G) | 18.5 | 8.9 | 4.0 |
| Trey Alexander (G) | 17.6 | 5.8 | 5.0 |
| Ryan Kalkbrenner (C) | 17.2 | 7.3 | 1.3 |
Villanova Offense Breakdown
In their most recent game, the Villanova offense put up just 56 points vs. the Seton Hall Pirates. Overall, they are now averaging 71.2 points per game which is 285th in the country. The top scorer for the Wildcats was Eric Dixon with 14 points, while TJ Bamba also chipped in with 11 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Dixon (F) | 16.0 | 6.2 | 1.7 |
| TJ Bamba (G) | 10.4 | 3.6 | 1.8 |
| Justin Moore (G) | 10.0 | 3.2 | 2.2 |
Creighton Team Defense
So far, the Bluejays’ defense is ranked 107th in the country at 69.5 points per contest. Creighton’s three-point defense is currently 34th in the country at 5.7 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 41.9% of their shots vs. Creighton.
Villanova Team Defense
The Wildcats’ defense is presently ranked 25th nationally, allowing an average of 65.5 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Villanova’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 40.9% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 33.0% this season.
Bluejays vs Wildcats Trends
- When looking at their past five road matchups, Creighton has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 81 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
- When looking at their past five home matchups, Villanova has an ATS record of 2-2-1 while averaging 60 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
- Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Villanova has an ATS mark of 4-5-1 while going 3-7 straight up.
- Through their last five games as the favorite, the Bluejays have an ATS record of 4-1 and a straight up mark of 4-1.
Bluejays vs Wildcats Prediction
Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +1, the Wildcats is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 137 and our model has the Bluejays and Wildcats finishing with a combined 143 points. Our pick is to take the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 9, 2024 Seton Hall Pirates, Villanova Wildcats