The Creighton Bluejays have rebounded nicely after losing Maurice Watson Jr. and are once again considered the team most likely to topple Villanova for the Big East crown. Following an embarrassing loss to Georgetown, Creighton righted the ship with an easy victory against DePaul and then knocked off Butler in Indianapolis. The Bluejays will now look for a season sweep against the Xavier Musketeers on Saturday and a win will make it almost impossible for Xavier to catch them in the conference.
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Xavier started off the season looking like one of the better teams in the Big East, but its recent run of play gives its fans cause for concern. The Musketeers have only covered once in their last seven games and even that cover was by just one point. Even worse, they have not covered a road game yet this calendar year and the only SU win they have on the road in 2017 came against a Saint John’s team with a losing record.
Creighton was one of the better ATS teams in the country prior to Watson’s injury and after the hiccup created by his absence has looked sharp once again. The Bluejays are 15-6 ATS this season and have covered 6 of their last 8 versus the number. Under has been a great play in Creighton’s Big East games with 8 of the 9 falling short of the total.
Last Meeting
It wasn’t that long ago that these teams met. Back on January 16, these teams squared off in Cincinnati with Creighton getting the better of Xavier. However, the night was a loss for the Bluejays all things considered as this was the game in which Watson tore his ACL and was out for the season. He played just 9 minutes before the injury occurred and in that moment, everything changed for Creighton’s outlook on the year.
It was a poor shooting night for Xavier but the Musketeers were able to hang around thanks to a great performance on the glass from RaShid Gaston. Gaston had 17 total rebounds, 9 of them on the offensive end, and kept possessions alive for a Xavier team that couldn’t buy a bucket from the field. He led the charge for a team that hauled in 18 offensive rebounds on the night.
Player to Watch
Trevon Bluiett has been the straw that stirs the drink for Xavier this season and his performance is the main reason why the team is going to make the NCAA Tournament. Bluiett has dropped at least 21 points in each of the last 4 games and as a result the Musketeers have averaged 79.5 PPG over that time frame.
He has become a better shooter each year during his time at Xavier and his ability to create his own shot and get to the line has been big. Bluiett almost led Xavier to an upset win over Cincinnati a week ago thanks to a 40-point performance where he hit 9 of his 11 three-point attempts but this team doesn’t have much offensive help aside from him.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Creighton should be a decent favorite in this one. The Bluejays have already beat the Musketeers without Watson once and are at home this time around. Creighton looks to have righted the ship and it has one of the best coaches in the conference in Doug McDermott. Look for this one to be close in the first half, but Creighton to pull away as the game goes along.
College Basketball Odds: Creighton 79, Xavier 70
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