Big East foes will collide when the DePaul Blue Demons (9-11, 2-6 Big East) challenge the No. 19 Seton Hall Pirates (15-5, 4-3 Big East) at Wintrust Arena. Seton Hall is a 5-point favorite on the opening line, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 146.5 points. Action starts at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 28, 2018, and it can be seen on CBS Sports Network.
Seton Hall Pirates vs. DePaul Blue Demons ATS Preview
The last time the Pirates played, they were beaten by the No. 11 Xavier Musketeers, 73-64. Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado put up eight points and 18 rebounds in the game. Xavier had a much better free throw rate (0.241 vs. 0.131). Seton Hall, meanwhile, had a better offensive rebounding percentage (35.1 vs. 32.4).
The Blue Demons come in on a high note after edging the Georgetown Hoyas in their last game, 74-73. DePaul was lifted by Eli Cain, who was the top scorer from either team with 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting. DePaul’s rebounding was their biggest advantage. The Blue Demons had more offensive rebounds (10 vs. four), defensive rebounds (28 vs. 23) and total rebounds (38 vs. 27).
DePaul might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they clash against one of the NCAA’s best defenses. Seton Hall ranks 97th in defensive efficiency while the Blue Demons rank 233rd in offensive efficiency.
There does not appear to be a trend for either of these teams in terms of going over or under the projected point total. The Pirates hold the significant advantage straight up (SU) (15-5 vs. 9-11), but the Blue Demons have been better against the spread (ATS) (10-10 vs. 9-11).
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after the Pirates won both matchups last season. In the last matchup, Seton Hall won 82-79. The Pirates played a nearly perfect game. They had an absurd free throw rate of 0.388 and a ridiculous effective field goal percentage of 0.643. The Blue Demons were 0.302 and 0.594, respectively, for those same stats.
Seton Hall Pirates vs. DePaul Blue Demons Prediction
Free Pick: SU Winner – Seton Hall, ATS Winner – Seton Hall, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Pirates average 6.8 steals per game, which ranks 79th in the nation. The Blue Demons rank 109th in steals allowed per game (6.3).
- Seton Hall averages 4.0 blocks per game, which ranks 72nd in the nation. DePaul ranks 92nd in blocks allowed per game (3.3).
- DePaul is 4-7 ATS at home, while Seton Hall is 4-4 ATS on the road.
- The total has gone over in 4 of the Pirates 8 road games, while 5 of the Blue Demons 11 home games have gone under.
- Seton Hall ranks 45th in assists per game (16.1) while DePaul ranks 198th in assists allowed per game (14.9).
- The Pirates rank 129th in three pointers allowed per game (21.7) while the Blue Demons rank 253rd (25.5).
- Seton Hall averages 38.5 rebounds per game, which ranks 53rd in the nation. DePaul ranks 146th in rebounds allowed per game (35.2).
Betting Trends:
- DePaul is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Seton Hall is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
- The Blue Demons have been outscored by an average of 3.8 points in their last five games. For the season, DePaul has defeated opponents by an average of 1.2 points.
- During their last five games, the Pirates have scored an average of 71.0 points per game (7.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 77.0 points per game (6.4 above their season average).
