One of three ranked teams in the Big East Conference will be in action tonight as the UConn Huskies hit the road to face the Creighton Bluejays. UConn will undoubtedly have revenge in mind after Creighton upset the Huskies in Hartford earlier this season. Given that the two teams are separated by a single game in the league standings, conference tournament seeding will also hinge on tonight’s outcome. The following article takes a look at the top college basketball betting picks and betting trends, then shares a UConn vs Creighton prediction for tonight’s matchup.
UConn vs Creighton College Basketball Betting Preview
Men’s College Basketball Regular Season Game
UConn Huskies (21-7, 12-5 Big East) vs. Creighton Bluejays (19-9, 11-6 Big East)
Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
Venue: CHI Health Center — Omaha, NE
Coverage: FS1
UConn Huskies Preview
To say that UConn comes in with momentum would be an understatement. The loss to the Bluejays in the first matchup between the teams was part of a tough start to the month of February as the Huskies dropped three of four. Since then, Danny Hurley’s squad has rattled off five straight wins and climbed to No. 18 in the AP Poll. A victory over Villanova last week serves as the signature win of Connecticut’s recent run. That victory supported the claim of several college basketball betting analysts that the Huskies have what it takes to win it all this season.
According to KenPom’s overall efficiency ratings, UConn basketball ranks top-20. Furthermore, Connecticut is rock-solid at both ends of the floor. They rank 24th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 33rd in the same metric for defense. Isaiah Whaley was the only one who could get anything going offensively for UConn in that first matchup. R.J. Cole (16.1), Adama Sanogo (14.9) and Tyrese Martin (13.3) are all comfortably averaging in double figures scoring this season. That being said, defense and one of the best rebounding rates in the country have become the trademark identities of this year’s Huskies team.
Creighton Bluejays Preview
Although Greg McDermott does not have the same level of talent with this year’s Creighton team as he has in years prior, the Bluejays are quietly sitting fourth in the Big East standings entering tonight’s contest. Since upsetting UConn on February 1st, Creighton basketball has won six of eight games. A loss to Big East regular-season champion Providence this past weekend snapped what was a six-game winning streak. Creighton basketball does have a glaring weakness when it comes to their offensive production. According to KenPom, the Bluejays are just 134th in adjusted offensive efficiency this season with an average of 105.9 points per 100 possessions.
In the first meeting between the two schools, Creighton was able to mask their offensive deficiencies by playing a stellar defensive game. Well, at least the final score of 59-55 would seem to indicate as much. In reality, UConn simply had one of its worst team-wide shooting games of the entire season, shooting a decrepit 29.9% from the floor as a team. Big man Ryan Hawkins is capable of countering Sanogo in the paint. He leads the Bluejays with 14.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season.
UConn vs Creighton College Basketball Betting Odds and Picks
All UConn vs Creighton college basketball betting odds can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: CONN: (-175) | CREI: (+155)
Point Spread: CONN: -4 (-110) | CREI: +4 (-110)
Total: 135 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
UConn vs Creighton College Basketball Betting Trends
- Huskies are 0-4 against the spread (ATS) in their last four road games against teams with a winning home record.
- Huskies are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games following an outright win.
- Bluejays are 5-1 ATS in their last six games.
- The OVER is 6-1 in the Bluejays last seven home games as a college basketball betting underdog.
- Bluejays are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an outright loss of 20 points or more.
UConn vs Creighton Prediction | College Basketball Betting Picks
Considering that the first game between these schools had only 124 total points scored, it is somewhat surprising to note the upward movement on tonight’s betting total. One has to believe that 135 is the peak of this line, thus making the under the preferred side to play. When it comes to adjusted tempo, KenPom ranks both teams as being fairly slow relative to the rest of Division I NCAAB teams.
While Creighton ranks only 175th in adjusted tempo averaging 67.7 possessions per 40 minutes, UConn is even slower. The Huskies have averaged only 67.0 possessions per 40 minutes on the season. This puts them at No. 267 in KenPom’s adjusted tempo rankings. With neither team having an overwhelming desire to push the pace, tonight’s game should see a lower final point total than the majority of Big East games this season.
UConn vs Creighton Prediction: Under 135 (-110 at BetUS Sportsbook)
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