Creighton vs Georgetown Odds, Pick
| Creighton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -110 | 148.5 -115o / -105u | -900 |
| Georgetown Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -110 | 148.5 -115o / -105u | +600 |
Big East play continues as two teams that desperately need a win face off at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
While both teams have lost two straight games, they came into this season with wildly different expectations. Creighton was expected to be one of the best teams in all of college basketball, while Georgetown was entering a transition under new head coach Ed Cooley.
Creighton is always known for its high-powered offense, and this year's team is no different, despite some struggles in its most recent games. The Bluejays have the 21st-ranked offense in college basketball, and with Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander on the wings, they have two stud scorers that are both capable of 30-point nights.
Georgetown will have its hands full trying to keep up on the defensive end. The Hoyas have one of the worst defensive units in high-major basketball, as they rank 255th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency.
They're also 0-5 against top-100 opponents and haven't had the firepower to keep up in the scoring column in those games.
It's always hard to pick up a road win in Big East play, but Creighton will try to do just that as the heavy favorite.
Creighton Bluejays
Creighton (0-2) has lost three of its last four games coming into this contest. It's tied with Georgetown for last in the Big East after suffering losses to Villanova and Marquette in the last two weeks.
Creighton's biggest problem this season has been the play of its point guard Steven Ashworth.
Ashworth was brought in to replace Ryan Nembhard after he departed for Gonzaga, but the Utah State transfer has really struggled. He's scored in single digits in four of his last five games and is shooting just 35% from 3-point range. He also has a higher turnover rate than assist rate.
Despite Ashworth's struggles, the Creighton offense, as a whole, has performed up to expectations. The Jays are fifth in the country in 3-point attempt rate, shooting 49.7% of their shots from outside and making 37.5% of them.
They're also fifth in the country in 2P%, thanks to Ryan Kalkbrenner finishing down low. They feast on bad defenses, and that's exactly what they'll face against Georgetown.
Georgetown Hoyas
Georgetown should be optimistic that it can hang in this game strictly thanks to its perimeter defense. On the season, Georgetown has been stellar at preventing teams from making 3s; its opponents are shooting just 29% from deep over the course of the year.
The Hoyas are coming off their worst performance of the season — a 30-point loss at Marquette — but they've had 10 days to prepare for this game and will be well-rested.
Despite its 0-5 record against top-100 opponents, most of Georgetown's losses have come by close margins, especially at home. In its three home losses on the year (Holy Cross, TCU and Syracuse), Georgetown has lost by an average margin of 4.6 points per game.
The Hoyas are a much better team in their own gym than outside of it, and that should make their fans optimistic in this game.
Creighton vs. Georgetown
Betting Pick & Prediction
In Creighton's last two losses, it's shooting just 30% from 3-point range.
Georgetown's 3-point defense has been good, and the Hoyas are better at home.
They can make this one interesting enough to cover, even if they don't win.
Pick: Georgetown +12.5
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