Creighton Bluejays vs. Xavier Musketeers Betting Prediction 03/14/19

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The Creighton Bluejays (18-13, 9-9 Big East) battle against the Xavier Musketeers (17-14, 9-9 Big East) in the Big East Conference Tourney at Madison Square Garden. The Bluejays opened as a 3-point favorite. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 140.5 points and it starts at 2:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 14, 2019.

Creighton Bluejays vs. Xavier Musketeers Betting Odds

Both teams covered as favorites in their last game. The Musketeers (2-point favorites) defeated the St. John’s Red Storm 81-68 in their last game, while the Bluejays (7.5-point favorites) beat the DePaul Blue Demons 91-78 in their last outing. Both games finished over their projected point totals. The Xavier game went 3 points over the projected point total of 146, while the Creighton game went 17 points over the projected point total of 152.

Creighton dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a fantastic free throw rate of 0.380 (above their season average of 0.198) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.720 (above their season average of 0.574). For those same stats, DePaul was 0.230 and 0.525, respectively. Xavier, meanwhile, played a nearly perfect game. They had an absurd offensive rebounding percentage of 34.5 (above their season average of 31.9) and a free throw rate of 0.259 (above their season average of 0.233). St. John’s was 15.2 and 0.119, respectively, for those same stats. Xavier was led by Paul Scruggs, who recorded 22 points and six rebounds. Meanwhile, Mitch Ballock fueled Creighton with 39 points.

Matchups featuring the Bluejays have a tendency to finish under the total (56.7 percent). Creighton heads into the contest with records of 18-13 straight up (SU) and 16-14 against the spread (ATS).

Musketeers games also have a tendency to go under the total (58.1 percent). Moreover, Xavier is 17-14 SU and 13-17-1 ATS.

The Bluejays’ Martin Krampelj has been playing at a high level over his last five games, averaging 16 points,7.6 rebounds,1.4 steals per game. Meanwhile, Zach Hankins has averaged 11 points,6.0 rebounds,1.4 blocks during that same time frame for the Musketeers.

Xavier should have the advantage on the offensive side of the ball. The Musketeers currently rank 75th in effective field goal percentage (0.535), while Creighton ranks 309th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.532). Additionally, the Bluejays rank 284th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.203), while the Musketeers rank 19th in opponents’ FTA rate (0.176).

Creighton Bluejays vs. Xavier Musketeers Betting Pick

Basketball Tip: SU Winner – Xavier, ATS Winner – Xavier, O/U – Over

Betting Notes:

  • Creighton ranks 21st in three pointers attempted per game (27.5) while Xavier ranks 256th in three pointers allowed per game (24.8).
  • The Musketeers rank 37th in rebounds allowed per game (31.9) while the Bluejays rank 116th (34.2).
  • Xavier ranks 77th in blocks per game (3.8) while Creighton ranks 112th in blocks allowed per game (3.3).
  • The Bluejays rank 22nd in assists per game (16.1) while the Musketeers rank 225th in assists allowed per game (14.4).
  • Creighton ranks 87th in steals per game (6.8) while Xavier ranks 195th in steals allowed per game (7.2).

Bettings Trends:

  • In their last five games, Creighton and Xavier have both had 3 unders and 2 overs.
  • The Bluejays are 5-0 ATS over their last five games, while the Musketeers are 4-1.
  • The Bluejays’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 10.0, up from 5.2 for the season.
  • During their last five games, the Musketeers have scored an average of 73.4 points per game (1.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 67.0 points per game (3.9 below their season average).