In Saturday college action on the hardwood, the No. 11 Creighton Blue Jays (17-5, 13-4 Big East) travel to meet the Xavier Musketeers (12-5, 5-5) at Cintas Center in Cincinnati for a 5 p.m. ET tip-off. Below, we analyze the Creighton-Xavier odds and lines, with NCAA college basketball picks and predictions.
Rankings courtesy of Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Creighton at Xavier: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:20 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Creighton -225 (bet $225 to win $100) | Xavier +185 (bet $100 to win $185)
- Against the spread/ATS: Creighton -5.5 (-105) | Xavier +5.5 (-115)
- Over/Under: 148.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Creighton at Xavier: Three things to know
- Creighton has rattled off four straight victories and three covers in a row. They won 77-53 last time out against DePaul, covering a 15-point number. Despite the cover on Wednesday, they’re just 2-3 ATS across the past five as a favorite, and 3-6 ATS across the past nine when favored.
- Xavier has posted a dismal 1-3 SU/ATS mark across the past four outings, and defense has been a major source of their problems. The Musketeers have allowed 80 or more points in each of those losses as the Over connected in all three games.
- These teams met in Omaha back on Dec. 23, with the Blue Jays picking up a 66-61 victory, although the Musketeers earned the cover as seven-point ‘dogs as the Under (155) easily cashed.
Special College Basketball Betting Promotion!
Bet $1 on any college basketball team money line, WIN an additional $100 (in free bets) if ANY team hits a 3-pointer today. Promotion available in CO, IN, MI, NJ, TN, VA and WV. IA and PA residents, don’t miss BetMGM‘s risk-free, first-bet offer!
Place your legal, online sports bets at BetMGM! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!
Creighton at Xavier: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Creighton 77, Xavier 66
Money line (ML)
Creighton (-225) will cost you more than two times your potential return, and that’s well past my personal money line limit of -180. PASS, and look to the spread instead in this key Big East battle.
Play our new free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Against the spread (ATS)
CREIGHTON -5.5 (-105) has been the more consistent team lately, and Xavier +5.5 (-115) has picked a poor time to hit the skids. The Musketeers have struggled in their past four games since returning from a COVID break, and they lost to the Blue Jays earlier this season. Creighton is the play here.
Over/Under (O/U)
UNDER 148.5 (-110) is the best play on the board in this game. The Under is 6-0-1 in Creighton’s past seven against a winning team, and a solid 20-7 across its past 27 road outings. The Under is also 9-1-1 in Xavier’s past 11 against a team with a winning overall mark, while going 4-1 in their past five following a non-cover.
Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Joe Williams on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional college sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Auburn / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1667]