ryan-hawkins-getty-1400.jpg
Getty Images

The Creighton Bluejays have won four of their last five games and look to keep their strong run of play going at DePaul at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday. Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 18 points in their previous meeting, which ended in a 13-point victory for the Bluejays. DePaul has only won two of their last eight games, but have been led by senior guard Javon Freeman-Liberty, who has averaged 20.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in his 17 starts this season.

The Blue Demons are favored by two points in the latest DePaul vs. Creighton odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The over-under is set at 140, and Thursday's game can be seen live on CBS Sports Network. Before entering any Creighton vs. DePaul picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on DePaul vs. Creighton. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Creighton vs. DePaul:

  • DePaul vs. Creighton spread: DePaul -2
  • DePaul vs. Creighton over-under: 140 points

What you need to know about DePaul

The Blue Demons suffered their second consecutive loss by the difference of a single bucket on Tuesday when they fell to the Butler Bulldogs, 73-71. The loss was just more heartbreak for DePaul, who lost 63-59 when the teams previously met last December. Despite the defeat, the Blue Demons had strong showings from forward David Jones, who had 17 points, and Freeman-Liberty, who finished with 13 points. Forward Brandon Johnson came just short of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds in the loss.

Things just haven't gone well for the Blue Demons in conference play this season on offense, and they average just 66.7 points per game in league play; second-worst in the Big East. Although conference opponents haven't sought to rain down 3-pointers on the Blue Demons this season, and average just 19.9 attempts from downtown, they hit 37.3 percent of them. Freeman-Liberty has been the most dangerous offensive counters from distance, and has made 38.5 percent of his 3-pointers this year.

What you need to know about Creighton

Creighton took care of the lowly Georgetown Hoyas on Monday in decisive fashion, winning 88-77. The Bluejays got double-digit scoring from five players: Guards Alex O'Connell (27 points) and Ryan Nembhard (12), forwards Ryan Hawkins (14) and Keyshawn Feazell (12), as well as Kalkbrenner, who finished with 13 points. Creighton relied heavily on O'Connell, who shot 5-for-11 from beyond the arc and finished dished out five assists in addition to his point total.

Starting forward Arthur Kaluma will be out until the end of February with a knee injury, and guard Trey Alexander has moved into the starting lineup in his place. In the two games he has started -- both against Georgetown -- Alexander has scored just 13 total points and shot an underwhelming 41.7 percent. Alexander did come away with eight rebounds and assists in those games, but will need to be more efficient for Creighton to secure a fourth consecutive win on Thursday.

How to make DePaul vs. Creighton picks

The model is leaning over on the total, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

Who wins DePaul vs. Creighton? And which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.