The No. 8 Creighton Bluejays go for their seventh straight win when they tangle with the struggling Butler Bulldogs in a Big East tilt on Saturday. On paper this game looks like a rout. But as we know the games aren’t played on paper. Still, the way Creighton dismantled its last two opponents should be frightening for the Bulldogs, who have dropped two straight and four of their last five. The Big East contest will air live on FS1 at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 16, 2021 from Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Creighton Bluejays (Check Back Later)
Butler Bulldogs (Check Back Later)
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
Odds Analysis
The Bluejays extended their winning streak to six with a 97-79 romp over St. John’s last weekend. They didn’t play a midweek game and have a full week to prepare for this showdown and to practice their COVID awareness techniques. The Bluejays have been favored in all but one game so far this season and they will be a big road favorite in this matchup. They crushed their last two opponents by an average of 27 points earning payouts both times. Creighton is 10-2 SU and 6-6 ATS. Maybe the Bulldogs can find their inner Hickory Huskers and salvage the season. At least they play in the same gymnasium as the fictional high school team from the movie ‘Hoosiers.’ Butler has lost two in a row and four of five since beating a good Providence team at home on Dec. 23. In fact all three of their wins have come inside Hinkle Fieldhouse where they are 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS.
Creighton Bluejays
Creighton proved it can still be a threat even with star Marcus Zegarowski out of the lineup. The team’s depth is unmatched in the Big East and is a big reason why the Bluejays strung together six straight wins, all against league foes. It’s the first time since joining the Big East that they won six straight conference games. Zegarowski missed the last game, but the Bluejays didn’t miss him. The offense stayed on point in a 97-79 win over St. John’s.
And the offense has been the story leading to a 10-2 record. Zegarowski is second on the team averaging 14.1 points while shooting over 40 percent from three-point distance. Denzel Mahoney leads five players averaging in double figures with 14.7 per game. He picked up the slack against St. John’s scoring a season-high 24 points. And the rest of the roster contributed as well with five other players hitting double figures. “The first 22 possessions we scored 40 points maybe with some of the most unselfish, best offensive basketball I’ve seen in a long time,” coach Greg McDermott said.
Creighton averages 83.3 points while shooting nearly 50 percent as a team. They make it tough on opponents with a deadly inside out game and get scoring from everyone on the roster. And they should have Zegarowski back in the lineup against Butler.
Butler Bulldogs
The fall was sudden, but there is hope for the future of Butler basketball. The Bulldogs are 3-7 following back-to-back 12 point losses to St. John’s and UConn. Around this time last season they were sporting a 15-1 record but have gone just 9-12 since. Relying on a number of underclassmen has led to numerous breakdowns both offensively and defensively.
The Bulldogs haven’t been very good scoring the basketball. They average only 63 points per game while shooting 42.4 percent from the field. They’ve been worse, if that’s even possible, over the last five games averaging just 59 points. Under bettors have benefitted with Butler playing below the closing total four times during that stretch. They’ve been better defensively, but not by much. Butler has one of the worst field goal defenses in the nation allowing opponents to make nearly 47 percent of their field goals and 38.7 percent of their three-pointers.
An issue with depth could be resolved with the return of Aaron Thompson, who missed four games with a knee injury. The five regular starters all average at least 29 minutes with Jair Bolden on the court nearly 35 minutes a game. Bolden and Thompson top the squad averaging 13.4 points.
Creighton at Butler Prediction
Creighton’s depth and firepower has been too much for opponents that are better than Butler, so I don’t expect the Bulldogs to have much of a chance in this one. Butler’s offense is bad and the defense is worse. Facing a Bluejays squad that can collectively shoot the basketball isn’t a good sign for a team that’s struggled to defend.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
