Xavier is on their tails while Villanova and Butler are also in the mix, so it is going to be an intriguing race down the stretch. Xavier needs to win this game at home in order to keep pace but it won’t be easy as Creighton comes in with a top-10 rankings and plenty of momentum.
This war on the floor will go down Monday, January 16, 2017, at 2 p.m. ET at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The game will be televised live on FS1.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Creighton is 15-1 straight up and 11-3-1 against the spread. The Bluejays have played in four road games and have been very impressive, covering in each attempt. Creighton is 10-2-1 against the spread as the favorite and could be expected to win narrowly. If the Bluejays are the underdog, they have covered once in two tries when getting points.
Xavier is 13-3 straight up and 9-6 against the spread. The Musketeers have played in eight home games on the year and have covered in six of them. Xavier is 9-4 against the spread as the favorite but has failed to cover in two attempts as the underdog.
Player to Watch
Marcus Foster – The Bluejays guard is the go-to guy on Creighton’s offense this year, averaging 18.6 points per game. He scored a season-high 29 points against Arizona State on December 20th and also scored 27 against Akron on December 3rd.
Foster scored 22 in the loss to Villanova on December 31st and has consistently carried this offense this season. The junior is a transfer from Kansas State and averaged 12.5 points per game for the Wildcats last year.
Foster has been a nice addition to this offense this year which also includes Maurice Watson Jr. and Justin Patton, who combine for another 27.5 points per game. The Bluejays are averaging 87.5 points per game, which ranks 11th in the country.
Key Stat
0-2. That’s Xavier’s record so far against ranked competition. The team fell 76-61 to No. 9 Baylor on December 3rd and recently fell 79-54 No. 1 Villanova on January 10th.
This is a tough stretch for Xavier as well, as the team faces No. 12 Butler on Saturday before its matchup with Creighton on Monday. In all, six more matchups with nationally-ranked teams lie ahead for Xavier so the team will look to make better showing in the future.
Xavier hung tough with Baylor early, but a cold spell in the second half which included nine minutes without a single field goal attributed to the loss and the team was outscored 45-26 in the second half. The team’s only other loss this season was to unranked Colorado.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Xavier is nationally ranked and has a solid record, but hasn’t yet done it against elite competition and that’s a concern. Creighton, meanwhile, is coming off an impressive win over Butler and its only loss came to then-No. 1 Villanova.
The Bluejays have the better resume and seem like the more well-rounded team. It’s not easy to pick against a ranked team at home, and Xavier certainly has the capacity to claim, this victory. However, Creighton’s offense should find its groove and lead the way to a pivotal conference win as the Bluejays aim to move up the rankings and stay alive for the Big East title.
College Basketball Odds: Creighton 84, Xavier 77
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