Eric Paschall of the Villanova Wildcats falls over Maurice Watson Jr. of the Creighton Bluejays during a game December 31, 2016. (Getty)
Both Villanova and Creighton started the season highly ranked, and rightfully so.
The Wildcats were coming off of the 2016 NCAA National Championship, and Creighton returned an slew of players who posed a great offensive threat to opposing teams. Both teams will play each other in a highly anticipated match-up at 3 p.m. ET on February 25. The game will be televised on FOX.
VIllanova is coming off of a 74-66 loss to Butler, but prior to that had got back into a grove following its first conference loss to Marquette. The Wildcats have already wrapped up another Big East championship, no matter what happens during Saturday’s game.
All was going well for Creighton, but then guard Maurice Wilson suffered a season-ending knee injury, and the offense started to sputter. They lost two-straight games to Marquette and Georgetown, respectively, and have been hit-or-miss the rest of the way. Creighton has lost three of its last five Big East games and need a big victory against Villanova to right the ship and gain momentum as the conference season comes to a close.
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s game:
Creighton vs. Villanova Betting Info
Note: All numbers and odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
Date: Saturday, February 25, 2017
Time & Channel: 3 p.m. ET on FOX
Spread: Villanova (-11)
Over/Under: 151
Moneyline: Villanova (-521); Creighton (+390)
Creighton vs. Villanova Prediction
Even with a loss in their last game, the Wildcats look primed for the tournament once again. They won seven straight before losing to Butler and didn’t have much of a problem beating Creighton earlier this season, 80-70.
Villanova has done it with the help of senior guard Josh Hart, who leads he team with 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Hart and sophomore guard Jalen Brunson seemingly always put the Wildcats in a position to win.
For Creighton, it’s been a lot of filling the void that Wilson’s injury left. Junior guard Marcus Foster has helped the Bluejays do so. He’s averaging 18.6 points per game, while 7-foot freshman center Justin Patton has been a focal point in the post.
Regardless, the match-up of the two Big East foes figures to be another fast-paced and high scoring one. But the absence of a consistent scorer for Creighton paired with solid Villanova defense gives the Wildcats the edge in the game.
Prediction: Villanova 77, Creighton 68
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