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The No. 9 seed Creighton Bluejays (25-10) and No. 1 seed Auburn Tigers (29-5) meet in an NCAA Tournament second-round game in the South Region Saturday. Tip-off from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, is set for 7:10 p.m. ET (TBS/truTV). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Creighton vs. Auburn odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
The Bluejays got off to a lightning-fast start in their 89-75 first-round win over the No. 8 seed Louisville Cardinals Thursday. Covering as a 3-point underdog, Creighton scored 49 points in the first half, taking a 15-point lead into the break. Before Thursday’s win, Creighton was coming off an 82-66 loss to the No. 5 seed St. John’s Red Storm in the Big East Tournament final last Saturday (March 15). The Bluejays have won 5 of their last 6 games, going 4-2 against the spread (ATS). They are 20-13-2 ATS on the season.
The Tigers entered the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and defeated the No. 16 seed Alabama State Hornets 83-63 Thursday, ending the first half with just a 10-point lead and failing to cover as a 31.5-point favorite. They were led by G Miles Kelly, who scored a team-high 23 points. Auburn entered the tournament having lost 3 of its previous 4 games. It was eliminated from the SEC Tournament by the No. 6 seed Tennessee Volunteers, 70-65, March 15. The Tigers finished atop a historically strong SEC, which saw 14 teams make the NCAA Tournament.
Auburn is No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
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Creighton vs. Auburn odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:08 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Creighton +350 (bet $100 to win $350) | Auburn -475 (bet $475 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Creighton +9.5 (-115) | Auburn -9.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 150.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Creighton vs. Auburn picks and predictions
Prediction
Auburn 76, Creighton 71
Moneyline
PASS.
The Bluejays have a chance to pull off the upset, especially considering their size and ability to shoot from deep. However, they are better played on the spread. Avoid a moneyline wager.
Against the spread
BET CREIGHTON +9.5 (-115).
The Tigers can overpower teams with their size, but that was the style Creighton played Thursday, scoring 36 points in the paint. The Bluejays’ leading scorer this season, C Ryan Kalkbrenner, stands 7-foot-1 and should be able to match Auburn’s size.
The Tigers have scored 72 or fewer points in 3 of their last 5 games and have struggled against quality opponents, narrowly defeating Ole Miss (a No. 6 seed) 62-57 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals March 14 and falling 70-65 to Tennessee (a No. 2 seed) in an SEC semifinal last Saturday. They have failed to cover in 5 straight games.
Take CREIGHTON +9.5 (-115).
Over/Under
BET UNDER 150.5 (-115).
The Tigers have allowed 63 or fewer points and scored 65 or fewer in 2 of their last 3 games, going 0-3 O/U. They shot 42% or worse in both SEC Tournament games and have struggled offensively.
As for Creighton, it finished the regular season just 14-17 O/U.
Bet UNDER 150.5 (-115).
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