Big East foes will collide when the Seton Hall Pirates (17-9, 6-7 Big East) challenge the DePaul Blue Demons (10-15, 3-10 Big East) at Prudential Center. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 151 points with Seton Hall opening as a 10-point favorite. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 18, 2018.
DePaul Blue Demons vs. Seton Hall Pirates Free Preview
In the Blue Demons last matchup, they lost a tough one against the St. John’s Red Storm, 77-76. Eli Cain had a solid game for DePaul, leading the team in scoring with 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting. St. John’s had a better turnover percentage (12.4 vs. 17.3). DePaul, on the other hand, had an offensive rebounding percentage of 41.0 (above their season average of 32.8).
The Pirates are trying to rebound after their 102-90 loss to the No. 4 Xavier Musketeers in their last matchup. Myles Powell led Seton Hall in scoring with 30 points on 10-for-20 shooting. Xavier did a great job of making free throws (28-35; 80.0 percent). Seton Hall, on the other hand, held the Musketeers to an offensive rebounding percentage of 20.8 (below their season average of 30.0).
The high-octane offense of Seton Hall will go head-to-head against the mid-tier defense of DePaul. The Pirates currently rank 75th in offensive efficiency, while the Blue Demons are 194th in defensive efficiency. The Pirates should have the advantage on that side of the ball.
Of DePaul’s 23 games that accepted bets, 12 have finished over the O/U total, while 14 of Seton Hall’s 24 games have finished over the projected point total. The Pirates have the better straight up (SU) record (17-9 vs. 10-15), but the Blue Demons hold the sizable advantage against the spread (ATS) (13-12 vs. 11-15).
Both teams have had a player heat up over their last five games. For the Blue Demons, it’s been Marin Maric, who has averaged 14.8 points and 6.6 rebounds, while the Pirates have gotten great contributions from Desi Rodriguez (19.0 points and 3.4 assists).
These teams have already met once this season. The two teams combined for 156 points in that game, which was over the projected point total of 147. The Pirates won 86-70, covering as 6.5-point favorites. The Pirates played a nearly flawless game. They had a superb free throw rate of 0.295 and a superb offensive rebounding percentage of 32.4. For those same stats, the Blue Demons were 0.106 and 24.4, respectively. Despite the loss, Tre’Darius McCallum was a top performer in the game with 16 points and six rebounds.
DePaul Blue Demons at Seton Hall Pirates Odds Prediction
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Seton Hall, ATS Winner – DePaul, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Pirates rank 96th in steals per game (6.6) while the Blue Demons rank 153rd in steals allowed per game (6.8).
- Seton Hall ranks 67th in blocks per game (4.0) while DePaul ranks 97th in blocks allowed per game (3.2).
- Seton Hall is 6-8 ATS at home, while DePaul is 7-4 ATS on the road.
- Of the Blue Demons 11 road games, they have 6 overs and 5 unders.
- In 14 home games, the Pirates have 6 overs and 6 unders.
- Seton Hall ranks 34th in assists per game (16.2) while DePaul ranks 213th in assists allowed per game (14.9).
- The Pirates rank 140th in three pointers allowed per game (21.9) while the Blue Demons rank 251st (25.0).
- Seton Hall ranks 67th in rebounds per game (37.8) while DePaul ranks 149th in rebounds allowed per game (34.8).
Betting Trends:
- Seton Hall is 1-4 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, DePaul is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
- The Pirates have been outscored by an average of 3.6 points in their last five games. On the season, Seton Hall has defeated opponents by an average of 5.9 points.
- During their last five games, the Blue Demons have scored an average of 71.6 points per game (1.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 76.4 points per game (3.1 above their season average).