The Providence Friars take on the Creighton Bluejays. Check out our Big East championship odds series for our Providence Creighton prediction and pick. Find how to watch Providence Creighton.
On conference tournament quarterfinal Thursday, one of the most important and dramatic days of the whole college basketball season, few conference tournaments will be more interesting and consequential than than Big East Tournament in New York. There are three bubble games in the four quarterfinals which will be played inside Madison Square Garden. One game is a double-bubble game with St. John's and Seton Hall. There is also Villanova, squarely on the bubble against Marquette, and then there is this game, with bubble-hugging Providence against Creighton.
Does Providence absolutely have to win this game to make the NCAA Tournament? Maybe the Friars can lose a really close game to a good Bluejay team and still get into the field of 68. It wouldn't be completely outside the realm of possibility, especially since there always seems to be at least one team each year which surprisingly makes the field when most bracketologists think that team will be left out on Selection Sunday. However, if we are being realistic and weighing the odds, the most reasonable and widely agreed-upon view is that yes, Providence needs to win this game to make the NCAA Tournament. If not, there are lots of other bubble teams which will have a chance to play their way into the field while Providence sits home. Providence likely needs a win here to stay ahead of the many other bubble teams it is competing with. If just one or two automatic bids are claimed by teams which don't have NCAA Tournament-level resumes, that will shrink the bubble even more, putting the squeeze on the Friars.
All things considered, Providence should consider this game a must-win in order to make the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Bubble drama abounds in New York.
Here are the Providence-Creighton Big East Championship odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Big East Championship Odds: Providence-Creighton Odds
Providence Friars: +7.5 (-110)
Creighton Bluejays: -7.5 (-110)
Over: 141.5 (-110)
Under: 141.5 (-110)
How To Watch Providence vs Creighton
Time: 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT
TV: Fox Sports 1
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Providence Could Cover the Spread
The Providence Friars must win this game, if we're being honest. They will therefore have a level of motivation which will greatly exceed Creighton's in this game. Creighton might be a better team, but Providence has a lot more on the line. Providence doesn't even need to win outright, either. Losing by only seven points would be enough to cover. Given the stakes, it's a pretty good bet that Providence can hang with Creighton and create a close-enough game to cover.
Why Creighton Could Cover the Spread
The Bluejays are a better team than Providence to begin with. Then consider the fact that the Friars do not have a complete roster, certainly not the roster they hoped to have for most of the season. The injury to big man Bryce Hopkins has been a crusher for the Friars. They were a better team with Hopkins on the floor. They have suffered without him. Motivation and urgency can't make up for that kind of deficit against a good Creighton team which has a lot of size and length inside.
Final Providence-Creighton Prediction & Pick
Since this is a bubble game for Providence, the Friars are likely to spill the tank and play with extra effort. Take Providence here.
Final Providence-Creighton Prediction & Pick: Providence +7.5
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