The Creighton Bluejays take on the Marquette Golden Eagles in Milwaukee, WI. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on FS1.
Marquette is favored by 10 points on the spread with a moneyline of -380. The total is set at 146 points.
Here are my Creighton vs. Marquette predictions and college basketball picks for January 3, 2025.
Creighton vs Marquette Prediction
My Pick: Marquette -8.5 (Play to -9.5)
My Creighton vs Marquette best bet is on the Golden Eagles spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Creighton vs Marquette Odds, Lines, Pick
| Creighton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10 -110 | 146 -110o / -110u | +390 |
| Marquette Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10 -110 | 146 -110o / -110u | -525 |
- Creighton vs Marquette spread: Marquette -10
- Creighton vs Marquette over/under: 146 points
- Creighton vs Marquette moneyline: Marquette -525, Creighton +390
- Creighton vs Marquette best bet: Marquette -8.5 (Play to -9.5)
My Creighton vs Marquette College Basketball Betting Preview
Creighton Basketball
Despite some real adversity, Creighton isn't going anywhere. A season-ending injury to dynamic guard Pop Isaacs robbed the Bluejays of one of their few veteran ball-handlers, forcing sniper Steven Ashworth and athletic wing Jamiya Neal to take on even bigger roles than expected on the perimeter.
That injury could've crippled an already-thin Creighton team, and losses at Georgetown and Alabama after the injury could've been the start of a swoon. Instead, the Bluejays have gamely continued building an NCAA Tournament resume, knocking off both Villanova and St. John’s at home.
Ryan Kalkbrenner remains at the heart of the Bluejays’ success, as he's been for the last four years. His production as a scorer and rebounder stands out the most in a box score, but his rim protection and threat as a lob finisher are even more crucial for this roster.
Opponents constantly worry about where he is on both ends of the court, making life significantly easier for Ashworth, Neal and stretch forwards Jackson McAndrew and Isaac Traudt.
Kalkbrenner’s supremacy is reflected in Creighton’s dominance at the rim on both ends of the floor. The Bluejays rank 17th nationally in near-proximity field goal percentage on offense and sixth on defense, per Haslametrics. The Jays turn foes into jump shooters, limiting easy buckets and securing the defensive glass.
Still, the offense can have issues without much true guard creation. The Bluejays have scored 1.0 points per possession or lower in three of their last four games, with only an outlier shooting performance against Villanova’s soft defense clearing that mark.
The athleticism of St. John’s, Georgetown and Alabama gave them real problems.
Marquette Basketball
UConn’s dominance over the last two years has overshadowed Marquette’s outstanding run. The Golden Eagles have gone 56-17 overall and 31-9 in the Big East. Yet they toiled in the Husky shadow again this preseason, landing a distant fourth in the league’s preseason poll.
Instead, the Golden Eagles are off to a pristine 12-2 (3-0) start to the year, ranking ahead of UConn in both computer and human rankings. They've emerged as a two-way force, largely thanks to an exceptional backcourt.
Kam Jones is the headliner as a likely First Team All-American and a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate. He’s a maestro who controls the game in every sense, scoring when he wants to and creating for others with supreme skill.
His extreme sure-handedness while constantly handling the ball is a major driver of Marquette’s No. 3 ranking nationally in turnover rate (KenPom).
His cohorts, Chase Ross and Stevie Mitchell, thrive most on the other end. They're two absolute pests, and both players rank in the top 70 nationally in steal rate (Mitchell is ninth).
Their ball pressure — along with Jones’ savvy and the athleticism of Tre Norman and Zaide Lowery — help land Marquette third in the country in steal rate, also per KenPom.
To summarize: Marquette never turns it over while forcing a ton on the other end. That helps the Golden Eagles frequently have an edge in shot volume over their opponents, a big driver of sustainable success.
David Joplin and Ben Gold have held up in their frontcourt roles, and Marquette may even have more untapped upside thanks to its young bench. Norman, Lowery, Royce Parham, Damarius Owens and Caedin Hamilton are all underclassmen with tantalizing potential.
Creighton vs. Marquette Betting Analysis
Creighton has managed to avoid feeling the true brunt of its personnel issues. Ashworth has played admirably, and the home Omaha crowd helped lift the Jays against St. John’s.
But the vulnerabilities remain.
This is a true nightmare matchup for a team short on ball-handling. Marquette’s ballhawks will harass Ashworth and Neal incessantly, forcing turnovers and — perhaps even more importantly — making it difficult to feed Kalkbrenner.
The Golden Eagles also sport outstanding depth — proof positive that internal development, rather than portal procurement, can be an effective roster-building tactic.
With Isaacs’ injury — plus a swing and a miss on recruit Larry Johnson (already gone to the portal) — Creighton lacks the same kind of depth. Marquette could wear the Bluejays down.
The number is the biggest part of what's giving me pause on this one. The spot matchup tilts to Marquette, in my view, and the spot is also strong for the Golden Eagles.
Marquette is back home off an easy road victory, while Creighton now heads on the road after a narrow emotional home win that came down to the final buzzer. Even with all that, laying 8.5 points against McDermott, Ashworth and Kalkbrenner is not a dream scenario.
I wouldn't go much higher than the current number. At 9.5 or -10, I would go half a unit. Any higher than that, and it goes beyond my threshold.
