Creighton vs Villanova Odds, Picks and Predictions: Diggin' in the Creights

The Creighton Bluejays take on the Villanova Wildcats at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday in a key Big East matchup.

The Bluejays find themselves inside the Top 20, but need wins to stay ranked. Creighton suffered a 73-71 setback against Marquette last time out as 6-point favorites while the Under cashed.

The Wildcats picked up an unexpected 64-63 upset win on the road against the Xavier Musketeers at Cintas Center in Cincinnati. Villanova has won four of the past five outings.

Creighton earned a 66-61 victory in Omaha in the first regular-season meeting on February 4, although Villanova grabbed the cover as 9.5-point underdogs.

Can Creighton finish off the regular-season sweep of Villanova in this Big East Clash, or will Kyle Neptune’s Wildcats stay hot in the City of Brotherly Love? We’ll discuss in our college basketball picks and predictions for Creighton vs. Villanova on Saturday, February 25.

Creighton vs Villanova best odds

Creighton vs Villanova picks and predictions

It’s been a roller coaster ride for the Bluejays this season. Creighton won six straight games out of the chute, but then it dropped six in a row from November 23 to December 16. It then won three in a row, dropped two straight, and then Creighton ripped off eight straight victories.

Currently, the Bluejays are in one of those cool snaps, winning just once in the past three outings.

Villanova is actually trending up, perhaps playing its most consistent basketball of the season lately. The Wildcats are sitting at .500 overall, and one game under .500 in the Big East. However, ‘Nova has won four of the past five outings, including an upset road win over Xavier.

In the first meeting, Creighton picked up a 66-61 win at CHI Health Center in Omaha over Villanova, and the Bluejays did that despite the fact they shot a mere 38% (20-of-53) from the field. In addition, Creighton was a dismal 29% (7-of-24) from behind the 3-point line.

The saving grace for Creighton was a solid 83% (19-of-23) mark from the free-throw line, while turning it over just eight times.

Villanova didn’t exactly shoot lights out in that first meeting, hitting just 39% (19-of-49) from the field, while turning it over 10 times. It was also sharp at the charity stripe, hitting 80% (16-of-20), while outrebounding Creighton by a 31-to-26 margin

It’s unlikely Creighton struggles from the floor like it did in the first meeting. The Bluejays average 76.1 points per game (PPG), while shooting an impressive 46.8% from the field.

On the flip side, the Wildcats allow 67.6 PPG, but the defense allows the opposition to shoot 44.0% from the field, and 34.2% from behind the arc. Look for Creighton to be much better offensively, grabbing the road win against a very mediocre Villanova team.

My best bet: Creighton -2.5 (-110 at BetMGM)

Creighton vs Villanova spread analysis

The Blue Jays have failed to cover in five of the past seven games, so that might give potential side bettors some pause. However, the Wildcats are just 4-10 ATS in the past 14 games at home, while cashing in just three of the past 10 games against teams with a winning overall record.

So why back Creighton? The key is a solid offense against a shaky defense. Creighton can roll up the points when it is shooting well, especially when Ryan Kalkbrenner is having his way. He’s averaging 14.7 PPG to lead the team, while pulling down 6.7 rebounds per game (RPG). He also leads the team with an impressive 70.6% field-goal percentage.

The Bluejays boast five different players averaging 11.9 PPG, too, so there are a number of players who can fill up the basket.

The Wildcats aren’t as diverse from a scoring perspective, and the roster doesn’t have anybody making more shots than they miss. Eric Dixon is the best of the lot, shooting 49.5% from the field while averaging 15.4 PPG.

Back Creighton on the road, and it’s also not terribly expensive to just pick the Bluejays on the money line if you don’t want to worry about laying the points.

Creighton vs Villanova Over/Under analysis

The Bluejays have racked up a solid 76.1 PPG, but the 3-point shooting can be off and on. Creighton is shooting just 35.3% from behind the arc, and that’s the Achilles’ heel for the offense.

Villanova isn’t terribly strong defending against the three, but it’s even worse shooting from downtown. The Wildcats have struggled in all facets on offense this season, averaging just 69.3%, while shooting just 43.5% from the field and 33.0% from the perimeter. The Wildcats rank No. 1 in the country from the free-throw line, but that’s not reason enough to back the Over.

The Under is 6-2 in the past eight games overall for the Bluejays, while cashing at a 4-1 clip in the past five games following a straight-up loss.

For the Wildcats, the Under has hit at a 7-2 clip in the past nine games, while going 4-1 in the past five games against teams with an overall winning record. The Under also cashed in the first meeting in Omaha.

Look for another low-scoring game, and couple that with a Creighton money line play or lay the points with the Bluejays for a solid parlay opportunity.

Creighton vs Villanova betting trend to know

Creighton holds a slim 4-3 ATS edge in the past seven head-to-head meetings, while the Blue Jays have cashed in 10 of the past 14 road games against teams with a home winning percentage greater than .600. Find more college basketball betting trends for Creighton vs. Villanova.

Creighton vs Villanova game info

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