The Butler Bulldogs and Creighton Bluejays have each hit a skid near the end of the season and are aiming to turn that around heading into the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Only one of them will have the capability to do so next time out as these Big East foes face off.
Creighton and Butler have similar records and levels of talent, so this could be a competitive matchup that could come down to the final few minutes. Butler will be the favorite based on the home court advantage. The Bulldogs and Bluejays are both aiming to grab a solid seed in March Madness, so this is a big game for both sides.
At 7 p.m. ET, tune into FS1 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Tuesday, February 20, 2018, at the Hinkle Fieldhouse.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Tuesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Creighton is 19-8 straight up and 13-13 against the spread. The Bluejays have covered in only three of their nine attempts on the road this season. Creighton is just 1-6 against the spread as the underdog on the year.
Butler is 18-10 straight up and 14-13 against the spread. The Bulldogs have done well at home this season, covering in 11 of their 15 attempts. Butler is 11-7 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
Last Meeting
Creighton took the first matchup between these teams rather easily. The Bluejays jumped out to a 49-32 lead at halftime and cruised to an 85-74 victory.
Marcus Foster led the way for Creighton in that game, pouring in 23 points while adding eight assists. Three other players in the Bluejays starting lineup scored in double figures, including 14 apiece from Khyri Thomas and Martin Krampelj.
Paul Jorgensen did what he could to keep Butler close, scoring 18 points, but the Bulldogs did not put up a great fight. Creighton shot 54 percent from the field in the contest to pull away.
Key Stat
3. That’s the number of losses for each of these two teams in their past five games after both playing well leading up to this stretch. Butler has lost three of its past four in total. The skid began with a loss to Xavier in overtime at home, followed by a road loss to Villanova. Both of those teams are ranked in the top-10 so it’s not the biggest surprise, but then Butler lost a third straight at home against Georgetown in a game it was favored.
The Bulldogs were finally able to get on the winning track again last time out, knocking off Providence.
Creighton’s lull began with a road loss to Villanova. The Bluejays were underdogs but lost by 20 points, which was not something the team wanted to see. Creighton beat DePaul but only by a point, and then fell to Xavier at home, 72-71. The Bluejays had an easy non-conference win but then struggled again in Big East play by blowing a big lead and falling to Marquette.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
The first game between these teams wasn’t very close but this one should be more interesting. Even though both teams have lost three of five, Butler seems to be playing at a slightly higher level and most importantly has the home court advantage.
Take the Bulldogs to get revenge and split the regular season series with a victory at home. However, Creighton should have the capacity to keep this one close down to the wire. The “over” could be the right call as both teams are good at shooting. The Bulldogs should hit more efficiently in this one than they did the first time.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Butler 85, Creighton 83
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