Seton Hall vs DePaul Odds, Picks and Predictions: Pirates Should Be Bigger Favorites

The DePaul Blue Demons will try to break a 12-game losing streak when they face off against the Seton Hall Pirates in the opening round of the Big East Tournament on Wednesday.

The Pirates (17-14) ended the season on a high note, beating Providence on the road 82-58 on Saturday. The Blue Demons (9-22) last won on January 18, when they upset Xavier 73-72. 

Barring a miraculous run, DePaul’s season will end in the Big East Tournament, and it’s likely to happen sooner rather than later.

We’ll break down whether the Blue Demons have any shot at extending their year in our college basketball betting picks below.

Seton Hall vs DePaul best odds

Seton Hall vs DePaul picks and predictions

There was never a point this season where the DePaul Blue Demons looked like a contender in the Big East, but after their win over Xavier, the Blue Devils stood at 9-10 and 3-5 in the conference. At the time, they looked like a middle-of-the-road team in the Big East.

That perception has obviously changed over the last two months. Plagued with injuries, the Blue Demons quickly fell to the bottom of the Big East. Despite some close calls, DePaul has lost 12 straight games and now faces a tough first-round matchup in the conference tournament just to keep its season alive.

What’s gone so wrong for the Blue Demons? DePaul ranks near the bottom of the country on defense, giving up 77.3 points per game. During the 12-game losing streak, DePaul has allowed at least 80 points nine times. 

The Seton Hall Pirates haven’t been great themselves down the stretch. They've lost five of seven and are likely limping toward an NIT bid. Solid defensive efforts have allowed Seton Hall to beat up on the dregs of the Big East, though they've only had limited success against the top half of the league, with wins over Providence and UConn. 

The Pirates did beat DePaul in both of their meetings this season. However, those wins were both close, with Seton Hall winning by four on the road and by five at home. Even in the height of their losing streak, the Blue Demons managed to show some life in the second half, cutting a 17-point deficit down to five in the final minutes.

There are also some slight injury concerns for Seton Hall heading into Wednesday’s game. Junior guard Kadary Richmond is questionable with a back injury, while backup forward Tray Jackson is also questionable with an ankle issue. 

That shouldn’t be enough to change the outcome of Wednesday’s game. Richmond is a significant contributor to the Pirates, but Seton Hall has three other double-digit scorers as part of a balanced offense. Jackson only plays about 15 minutes per game, and that number will probably go down in the postseason.

While these two teams play close games in the regular season, DePaul is at its low point. Seton Hall is simply the better team, and on a neutral floor, the Pirates deserve to be closer to a double-digit favorite over the Blue Demons.

I’m laying the points with Seton Hall, which should have little trouble ending DePaul’s season today.

My best bet: Seton Hall -5 (-110 at PointsBet)

Seton Hall vs DePaul spread analysis

The Pirates opened today’s game as a 5.5-point favorite. As of Wednesday morning, the consensus spread had come down about a half-point, with Seton Hall -5 being the most common line on the market.

Seton Hall has played to about its straight-up record against the number as well, going 16-14 against the spread on the year. DePaul has disappointed bettors, putting up a 12-18-1 ATS record this season.

That terrible ATS number for DePaul coincides with the team’s recent losing streak. The Blue Demons have only covered twice in their last 10 games, with bookmakers struggling to move lines fast enough to keep up with just how bad DePaul has been over the past six weeks or so. 

It feels like the line on today’s game has been set based largely on how these teams played against each other in the regular season. However, a more holistic view of how both squads have played this year, especially down the stretch, shows that Seton Hall should be a much larger favorite.

Jeff Sagarin’s ratings suggest the Pirates are about eight points better on a neutral court, while KenPom has Seton Hall as about 11 points better. 

With the line coming in well below those numbers, laying the points with Seton Hall is the clear play here. 

Seton Hall vs DePaul Over/Under analysis

Today’s total opened at 138 points. That number remains largely unchanged, though you can find Over/Under numbers as low as 137 or as high as 138.5, depending on where you bet and which side of the total you want to bet.

It’s hard to find any strong trends to push us one way or another on this market. Seton Hall has now hit the Over in its last three games but has spent most of the season playing to relatively low totals. DePaul has struggled on defense but has played to the Under in three of its last five contests.

Looking at the two games these teams played in the regular season, the Pirates did a better job of controlling the pace of play. They played to totals of 138 and 133 in the two games, with the lower number coming in the more recent meeting during DePaul’s 12-game losing streak.

None of this is enough to swing me towards betting this market. However, my gut feeling would be to take the largest number you can find and bet the Under. Seton Hall has been the better team and is more likely to dictate how this game is played, which should mean a relatively low total.

Seton Hall vs DePaul betting trend to know

DePaul is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games overall. Find more college basketball betting trends for Seton Hall vs. DePaul.

Seton Hall vs DePaul game info

Seton Hall vs DePaul key injuries

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