Creighton Bluejays vs Butler Bulldogs Prediction & Match Preview - January 16, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball

The No. 8 Creighton Bluejays are on the road Saturday to take on the Butler Bulldogs for a Big East conference battle. The Bulldogs have been off to a rough start in conference play, losing five of their first seven matchups against Big East opponents. The Bluejays have taken over sole posession of 2nd place in the conference, and will be looking to earn their 11th win of the college season.

Match Details

Fixture: Creighton Bluejays vs Butler Bulldogs - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date & Time: Saturday, January 16th, 2021, 4 PM ET

Venue: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

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Creighton Bluejays Preview

Creighton v Villanova

The Creighton Bluejays have held down the 2nd spot in the Big East conference, only trailing the Villanova Wildcats, who have only played three conference games due to COVID-19 complications. The Bluejays improved to 6-1 in Big East play after their 18-point rout of St. John's, and will have a big advantage against the 8th place Butler Bulldogs. If the Creighton Bluejays can maintain their fast-paced offensive play, they should cruise through the struggling Bulldogs on Saturday.

Key Player - Christian Bishop

Creighton Bluejays' forward Christian Bishop will be the key player in Saturday's conference battle. Bishop, a 6-foot-7 junior, will need to dominate the paint on both ends of the court against the strong rebounding of Butler big man Bryce Nze. This season, Bishop averages a team-high 5.4 rebounds per game, and will have his skills tested on Saturday.

You may have heard of Devonta Smith but have you heard of Christian Bishop?pic.twitter.com/0c1r8hnkD6

— #8 Barstool Jays (@BarstoolJays) January 12, 2021

Creighton Bluejays Predicted Lineup

F Christian Bishop, F Damien Jefferson, G Marcus Zegarowski, G Mitchell Ballock, G Denzel Mahoney

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Butler Bulldogs Preview

Xavier v Butler

The Butler Bulldogs' offensive struggles have continued in Big East play, averaging only 57 points over their last five games. The Bulldogs fell to 2-5 in conference play with their last loss to the St. John's Red Storm, and are in real danger of finishing last in the Big East. The Bulldogs' defense have a big task ahead of them with the Creighton Bluejays coming to town, and will need quite the performance to pull off an upset.

Key Player - Jair Bolden

On Saturday, the Butler Bulldogs will be hoping for a huge performance out of their star guard Jair Bolden. Bolden is averaging a team-leading 13.4 points per game, and has been knocking down 3Ps with efficiency all season.

Jair Bolden. Bucket Getter. He's got 18 for @ButlerMBB! #GoDawgs x #BIGEASThoops pic.twitter.com/8d7g0AIbpx

— #BIGEASThoops (@BIGEASTMBB) December 17, 2020

Bolden has made 31 three-pointers this season, 16 more than any of his teammates. The Butler offense has been Jair Bolden will need to have the hot hand for the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday and lead his offense to a wild Big East upset.

Butler Bulldogs Predicted Lineup

F Bryce Nze, F Bryce Golden, G Jair Bolden, G Aaron Thompson, G Chuck Harris

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Creighton vs Butler Prediction

The Butler Bulldogs have struggled to produce the offense necessary to keep pace with the high-scoring teams of the Big East. The Bulldogs need find a way to stop the Bluejays' talented shooters and make good use of their offensive posessions if they want to compete with Creighton on Saturday. I expect the Creighton Bluejays to get a big night out of Christian Bishop and to secure their 11th win of the season over the Butler Bulldogs.

Where to watch Creighton vs Butler?

The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports One.