The Cintas Center will host a Big East Conference NCAAB matchup between the Creighton Bluejays and the 12th-ranked Xavier Musketeers on Wednesday (January 11) evening.
The Bluejays are 9-7 (3-2) this season and are coming off a 69-60 road loss on Saturday against the UConn Huskies. The Musketeers, meanwhile, are 13-3 (5-0) and are riding a nine-game winning streak after an 88-80 road win over the Villanova Wildcats on Saturday.
Creighton Bluejays vs Xavier Musketeers Betting Odds
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Creighton Bluejays vs Xavier Musketeers Match Details
Fixture: Creighton Bluejays vs. Xavier Musketeers
Time and date: Wednesday, January 11; 7:00 pm ET
Venue: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, OH
Creighton Bluejays vs Xavier Musketeers Key Stats
The Bluejays are a strong offensive team, averaging 76.1 points per game. They have been passing the basketball well, averaging 16 assists over the course of the season.
Junior center Ryan Kalkbrenner has led the team, averaging 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 0.5 steals in 29.8 minutes per game. He is using his 7'1" frame and getting what he wants at the rim.
Their defense has been playing well this year as they are allowing 67.6 points per game. The Bluejays are doing decently, forcing 4.8 blocks and 5.4 steals per game. They need to continue to improve on that side of the floor to get better in the Big East Conference standings.
The Musketeers are a dominant offensive team as they are scoring 84.1 points per outing and shooting 51% from the field. Senior guard Souley Boum has been doing well, averaging 17.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.1 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game in 34.2 minutes this season.
Defensively, they have some room for improvement as they have given up 74.3 points per game. They need to do better as they're forcing 4.1 blocks and 7.4 steals per game up to this point.
Creighton Bluejays vs Xavier Musketeers Best Picks and Prediction
Defense is going to be the difference in this game and Creighton is playing the better brand of it here. The Bluejays are not going to get bossed around on the glass here as they actually hold a 38.1:37.7 advantage on the rebounds per game stat.
The underdog has covered the spread in 16 of the previous 21 games these teams have played against one another so go with the Creighton Bluejays to cover here.