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The Creighton Bluejays take on the Butler Bulldogs. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Creighton Butler prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Creighton Butler.
The Creighton Bluejays are 0-4 in true road games this season. It is true that Creighton has had to play at Marquette, UConn and Xavier, three of the tougher road trips to make in the Big East Conference, but it remains that coach Greg McDermott's team has not yet broken through. The Bluejays have improved recently, and they have also firmly proved that with big man Ryan Kalkbrenner on the floor and healthy, they're a good team. When Kalkbrenner was sick in December — he played against Nebraska but didn't look like his usual, energetic self; then he missed several games after that — Creighton lost six games in a row. This is why the Jays are 10-8 on the season instead of being 14-4 or 15-3, which is where a lot of people expected them to be. However, with Kalkbrenner back in the lineup, the Jays scored a massive win over Providence to improve their bubble position. That's a starting point for this team.
Creighton's severe slump has real bubble implications for teams such as Arizona State which beat the Bluejays in nonconference games. ASU is likely in the NCAA Tournament, but the Sun Devils aren't a lock because their win over Creighton doesn't have near the value it otherwise would have had. Creighton has work to do to make the Big Dance. Beating teams such as Butler is a must.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Creighton-Butler College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: Creighton-Butler Odds
Creighton Bluejays: -6.5 (-118)
Butler Bulldogs: +6.5 (-104)
Over: 140.5 (-110)
Under: 140.5 (-110)
How To Watch Creighton vs. Butler
TV: Fox Sports 1
Stream: Fox Sports app
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Creighton-Butler LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Creighton Could Cover the Spread
This is a not-very-good team Creighton is facing. The Bluejays, as noted above, have lost to the better teams in the Big East when venturing on the road. Marquette, UConn and Xavier will all make the NCAA Tournament. Those are good teams. Butler isn't in the same league. The Bulldogs have struggled for much of the season, and it is worth noting that their win over Villanova doesn't carry a lot of weight because Villanova is not an NCAA Tournament-level team this season. We weren't expecting that, but it's real. Butler very much has to prove it can win against the upper half of the Big East Conference. For all the doubts Creighton has on the road, Butler has even more questions it needs to answer in this game and in the coming weeks. Creighton with Ryan Kalkbrenner looks like a better team. Creighton beating Providence this past week shows what the Jays are capable of.
Why Butler Could Cover the Spread
The Butler Bulldogs beat Villanova at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday night. It was a solid bounce-back performance for Butler, which is 8-2 in 10 games played at Hinkle this season. Butler is one of those teams which is Jekyll and Hyde at home and on the road. Butler at home is significantly better in its own building, and for a Creighton team which has struggled on the road, it's the perfect situation for the Bulldogs as they try to move up in the Big East standings. Creighton is a uniquely vulnerable opponent on the road, at least if you go by the 0-4 true road record two months into the season. Small sample size? Maybe … but Creighton still has to prove itself, and skepticism of the Jays is warranted.
Final Creighton-Butler Prediction & Pick
Creighton is a significantly better team than Butler with Kalkbrenner on the floor. Take Creighton.
Final Creighton-Butler Prediction & Pick: Creighton -6.5
