Will Creighton’s Defense Rebound From Pitiful Performance On Friday?
The Value With The Creighton vs Providence Odds Is In The Total!
The Creighton Bluejays will take a trip to Providence, Rhode Island, to take on the Friars in Amica Mutal Pavillon.
Creighton lost its three-game winning streak after a home loss to Butler. They allowed 99 points in a 99-98 loss, which was a little embarrassing.
On the other hand, Providence is coming off two road losses to UConn and Villanova. A trip home should help Providence get back on track. Four of the Friars’ last five games were on the road.
But Providence is still just 5-6 in conference play and has lost six of their last nine games. They’ve been very streaky in Big East play. Will the losing continue, or will the winning begin?
The Friars are still underdogs at home, sitting at +2. Meanwhile, the total is at 142.
Let’s break down the Creighton vs Providence odds below.
Bluejays vs Friars 
Day/Time:
Location: Amica Mutual Pavilion
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Creighton vs Providence Odds & Trends
It’s tough to win road games in the Big East.
Providence is already 11-2 in home games this season. However, Creighton is also 5-2 in road games on the year.
But while Creighton has a better win percentage than Providence straight up, the Friars have won against the spread more, holding a 12-9-1 record against the spread. Creighton is sitting at 10-12 against the spread this year.
Meanwhile, both NCAAB teams have hit the Under more than the over, and Creighton has beaten Providence in three of the last four games. The most recent matchup was a Creighton victory in early January, 69-60. But with the Friars at +11 against the spread, Providence covered in this game.
Creighton’s Defense Needs To Be Better
The Bluejays recently lost to Butler at home, 99-98. Creighton allowed 99 points to Butler despite four of their NCAAB players finishing with 20+ points.
It’s hard to lose when a team has four players with 20+ points. But Creighton found a way as Butler shot 55.1% from the field and 59.1% from three in the game.
More importantly, Butler turned the ball over only five times in the entire game. Creighton wasn’t active on the defensive end and clearly didn’t defend the perimeter very well.
The Bluejays won 33 consecutive home games on a Friday until that loss to Butler.
The defense will need to tighten up for their next college basketball matchup.
Providence Without Bryce Hopkins
The Providence Friars learned that their No. 2 scorer, Bryce Hopkins, will be out for the remainder of the season with a knee NCAAB injury.
It occurred on January 3 against Seaton Hall, when he averaged 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds through 14 games this season.
With his absence, the Friars only have two players who have scored more than nine points per game. The offense just scored 50 points on the road against Villanova, so they’re really struggling to find offense right now.
We’ll see if this offense can keep up with Creighton’s.
Go Defense!
The Providence Friars aren’t the best offense in the nation. However, they’re ranked No. 9 in offensive efficiency.
The Friars have held teams to a 45.1% effective field goal percentage, giving up just 31.6% from three and 44% from inside the arc.
Creighton is one of the best teams in the nation at scoring inside, hitting 60.2%. The Bluejays have also shot 35.6% from deep. But if Providence can get Creighton to slightly lower percentages, the Friars should be in this game.
After all, Creighton struggles to earn second chances with offensive rebounds and also doesn’t get to the foul line often.
On the other hand, Creighton is No. 1 in the nation defensively at limiting free throws. They’re not aggressive, earning just 10.8% of turnovers per game. However, opponents have hit just 31.8% from deep and 44.5% from inside the arc.
The Creighton defense is typically good despite its struggles against Butler.
Meanwhile, Providence has hit just 31.5% from three and 55.8% from inside the arc. While the Friars are good inside, Creighton’s defense inside is better.
Beyond that, the Friars are also not very good at earning offensive rebounds, adding just 26.5% of offensive rebounds per game this NCAAB season.
Therefore, it’s unlikely either team gets to the line much. It’s also unlikely that we will see many second-chance points with low turnovers.
Creighton’s the least aggressive team in the nation defensively. They’re just going to force tough shots and grab the misses. Time won’t stop very much, as whistles won’t be blown.
Creighton is in the top 25 of the NCAA college basketball rankings. However, Providence is still on the cusp of a tournament run after losing to Villanova.
Providence needs to come into this game at home with a defensive game plan that will keep them in the game. Therefore, after looking at the college basketball odds, our NCAAB predictions have the Under 142 as a good value.
This will be a fun game in a tremendous atmosphere. Realistically, both teams are defensive-minded. Ignore that Butler game. Providence rarely has depth when it comes to scoring. We’ll ride the Under 142 (-110).
For NCAAB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
