The Creighton Bluejays will take on the UConn Huskies in Storrs, CT. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. ET on FOX.
UConn is favored by 8 points on the spread with a moneyline of -360. The total is set at 146 points.
Here are my Creighton vs. UConn predictions and college basketball picks for January 18, 2025.
Creighton vs UConn Prediction
My Pick: UConn -7.5 or Better
My Creighton vs UConn best bet is on the Huskies spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Creighton vs UConn Odds, Lines
| Creighton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8 -110 | 146 -110 / -110 | +280 |
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8 -110 | 146 -110 / -110 | -360 |
- Creighton vs UConn spread: UConn -8
- Creighton vs UConn over/under: 146 points
- Creighton vs UConn moneyline: UConn -360, Creighton +280
- Creighton vs UConn best bet: UConn -7.5 or Better
My Creighton vs UConn NCAAB Betting Preview
The vibes around this Creighton team are off. Part of that comes from comparing them to the last four years, a golden age for the Bluejays. In that span, Creighton made the Sweet 16 three times, including an Elite Eight in 2023.
The core of that team, which was mostly homegrown and developed in Omaha, has slowly drifted away. Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander are playing professionally. Ryan Nembhard is at Gonzaga. Arthur Kaluma went to Kansas State and is now at Texas.
That leaves just three-time reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner, now in his fifth season as a Bluejay. Younger players and transfers were supposed to build around Kalkbrenner, but Greg McDermott hasn’t had the right pieces this season.
Texas Tech transfer Pop Isaacs was lost to a season-ending injury, making things worse. The Creighton offense, still fueled by McDermott’s modern, analytically-driven principles, sputters due to too many turnovers.
The defense, built around Kalkbrenner’s drop coverage as a rim protector, remains focused on allowing 2-point jumpers but has shown weaknesses at times. Georgetown blitzed the Bluejays for 81 points on 1.19 points per possession in an upset win.
So, where does this leave Creighton? BracketMatrix has the Bluejays as the last at-large team in the field, a far cry from prior years and expectations.
Unless Kalkbrenner can elevate his offensive game and play more like an All-American than just an All-Big East player, Creighton will hover around the bubble and raise questions about what the next era of Bluejay basketball will look like in Omaha.
In the pursuit of a third consecutive national championship, the Connecticut Huskies have experienced a roller coaster of highs and lows this season.
After a 4-0 start against weak competition, the Huskies went winless in three attempts at the Maui Invitational. They returned to the mainland and won seven straight games, with notable victories over Baylor, Texas, Gonzaga and their first four Big East opponents.
In the second half of a New Year’s Day game at DePaul, McNeeley suffered a high ankle sprain that will keep him sidelined until at least the end of this month.
Results without McNeeley have been rocky.
UConn trailed Providence by 14 points in the second half before mounting a comeback win. The Huskies lost a heartbreaker at Villanova and sparked a game-sealing 17-2 run at Georgetown.
The Husky offense has looked less aggressive. After averaging nearly 20 free throw attempts per game with McNeeley in the lineup, UConn earned just four free throws at Villanova (including the decisive two misses in the final seconds by Alex Karaban) and only 10 foul shots at Georgetown.
The Connecticut defense has been even worse without the athletic McNeeley on the court. This season, with McNeeley in the lineup, UConn allows 97.1 points per 100 possessions defensively, according to Hoop-Explorer.
With McNeeley on the bench or in street clothes, that number balloons to 113.1 points per 100 possessions. Shooting percentages at every level go up, while turnover and defensive rebounding rates go down.
Many UConn fans may have expected Saint Mary's transfer Aidan Mahaney to step into a larger role with McNeeley sidelined.
As a Gael last season, Mahaney topped 20 points on 22 different occasions. His 30-point breakout game in a 2023 win over Gonzaga turned heads in the college basketball world. Hurley seemed to land a big fish in the portal this summer.
Instead, Mahaney has been invisible. He’s averaging just 5.1 points in 14.4 minutes per game, with twice as many scoreless nights as games in double figures.
Creighton vs. UConn Betting Analysis
Creighton will go as Kalkbrenner goes, especially on the offensive end. This season, in Bluejay wins, Kalkbrenner is averaging 22 points, shooting 74% from the field and hitting 53% from long range. In Creighton's four losses, those numbers drop to 11.3 points per game, 50% shooting and 25% from beyond the arc.
In his career, he boasts a 7-2 record against the Huskies, a rare feat in the Dan Hurley era. However, in those nine games, he's averaged just 10 points per game with only one double-double. Hurley has forced Kalkbrenner's teammates to step up, and more often than not, they’ve delivered.
This Creighton team is less capable of doing so. UConn's Samson Johnson presents a tough matchup for Kalkbrenner, with double-teams sure to come.
Unless Creighton shoots exceptionally well from long range, Hurley's game plan should lead to a UConn win.
