Creighton vs Marquette Odds, Picks and Predictions: Joplin Helps Power Golden Eagles W

Two teams expected to battle at the top of the Big East collide Saturday at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, when the 10th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles host the 22nd-ranked Creighton Bluejays.

After opening conference play with a loss to Providence, Marquette evened their record with a dominating win over Georgetown. They’ve been pegged as four-point favorites in Saturday’s college basketball odds. 

Creighton opened its Big East schedule with an OT loss to Villanova, sending it to its second loss in three outings, following an 8-1 start.

Read below for my free college basketball picks and best Creighton vs. Marquette bet on December 30.

Creighton vs Marquette best odds

Creighton vs Marquette picks and predictions

The Golden Eagles were flat in their Big East opener, setting a season low for points scored in a 72-57 loss to the Friars. 

They shot just 32.1% from the field, including a grim 4-for-20 from distance — not exactly the type of output you’d expect from a team ranked 27th in KenPom’s offensive efficiency metric.

Their get-right game came just days later, as they blasted the Georgetown Hoyas 81-51. That’s the lowest point total they’ve held a team to this year — in line with their KenPom defensive efficiency ranking of 14th.

David Joplin had his best game of the campaign, dropping 20 points and grabbing nine boards, both season-best marks for the 6’8” junior. He’s been red-hot from distance of late — against Georgetown, he went 4-for-7, one off his high for the year.

Over his last five games, Joplin has hit at least two 3-pointers in all but one contest, and he’s hitting at a tremendous 47.8% clip. For the year, he’s shooting the moneyball at a 38.5% mark on five attempts per contest.

Creighton has been among the best defenders of the 3-point line, holding teams to just a 29% average, which ranks 43rd in the NCAA, and its meager five makes allowed per contest puts it inside the Top 10. 

Those numbers are impressive, but the Bluejays’ schedule is devoid of any ranked opposition until Saturday. And they’re also not susceptible to getting rung up.

In their two most recent losses, Creighton allowed five different players to hit at least two 3-pointers in those games.

I like the groove that Joplin is in right now, and it’s kind of surprising the books have set his line at a very attainable 1.5 makes.

My best bet: David Joplin Over 1.5 3-point makes (-145 at DraftKings)

Creighton vs Marquette same-game parlay

David Joplin Over 9.5 points

Tyler Kolek Over 26.5 points + rebounds + assists

Marquette moneyline

+405 at FanDuel

A little change-up here for the same-game parlay, as Joplin’s 3-point prop isn’t available on FanDuel, so we’ll pick him to go over the 9.5-point total set — a number he’s crossed in two of his last three outings.

Next, let’s focus on Golden Eagles’ senior guard Tyler Kolek, who’s been an all-around dynamo. He leads the team with 15.3 points and 6.2 assists per contest and ranks second on the team averaging 5.3 rebounds.

Kolek is coming off a very nice 13-point, 10-assist, five-rebound performance in a win over the Hoyas and was about the only bright spot in a loss to Providence, where he went for 21 points, nine boards, and five dimes.

In fact, he’s gone Over his 26.5 total set for points, rebounds, and assists against Creighton in four of the last five games.

Perhaps most impressive is how his game improves with the competition level. Against ranked opponents this year, he has topped this total in three of four games, the lone Under coming in a 73-59 beating of then-top-ranked Kansas.

In the other three contests, against Texas, Purdue, and Illinois, Kolek has averaged 24.7 points, seven rebounds, and 5.3 assists.

Add those all up, and if he comes near his totals, that’s an easy win.

We’ll wrap it up with Marquette on the moneyline, as the team is a perfect 7-0 so far at home this season while averaging a sturdy 80.9 points per game.

Creighton has been perfect on the road so far, though it’s a small sample size of two games. The Bluejays may have a 7-3 record vs Marquette in the last 10 head-to-heads, but the Golden Eagles have won the last two.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Creighton vs Marquette spread and Over/Under analysis

The spread for this matchup has been as low as three points, but most books have the Bluejays as four to 4.5-point underdogs.

Both teams have hovered around the break-even line when it comes to spread success. Creighton is 7-5-0 ATS, while Golden Eagles are 6-6-1 ATS. 

As for the total, there’s been some variance in the lead-up. You can grab them at some books at a high of 150.5, but there are cascading numbers depending on what site you’re at and can come in as low as 147.5 points.

The Bluejays put up 83 points per game, which ranks 40th in the nation, but the Over is just 6-6-1 in their games. Marquette puts up a respectable 78.5 points, but they Over has hit in just four of 13 games on the year.

Creighton vs Marquette betting trend to know

Marquette has won 19 straight against Big East opponents at Fiserv Forum. Find more college basketball betting trends for Creighton vs. Marquette.

Creighton vs Marquette game info

Creighton vs Marquette key injuries

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