The second-seeded Creighton Bluejays will look to earn their third Big East title game appearance in eight years when they take on the third-seeded UConn Huskies on Friday in a 2021 Big East Tournament semifinal matchup. Creighton (19-7) dominated No. 10 Butler 87-56 in the quarterfinals and has won six of its last eight games. UConn (15-6) has also been red hot, winning five straight, including a 94-60 thumping of DePaul on Thursday. UConn is making its first Big East Tournament appearance since 2013, returning to the conference after spending the last seven seasons as a member of the American Athletic Conference.
The game from Madison Square Garden in New York is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET. UConn is averaging 72.3 points per game, while Creighton averages 78.4. The Bluejays are 1.5-point favorites in the latest UConn vs. Creighton odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 143.5. Before making any Creighton vs. UConn picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned over $400 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Creighton vs. Connecticut in the Big East Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Connecticut vs. Creighton:
- UConn vs. Creighton spread: Creighton -1.5
- UConn vs. Creighton over-under: 143.5 points
- UConn vs. Creighton money line: UConn +105, Creighton -125
- UC: The Huskies are 64-56 (.533) in games played at Madison Square Garden
- CRE: The Bluejays are 16-1 this season when leading at halftime
Why Creighton can cover
The Bluejays have five players averaging in double figures, including junior forward Christian Bishop, who scored 10 points in Thursday's big win over Butler. He has reached double figures in 19 games this season, including four double-doubles. His best game this year was a 19-point performance against Connecticut on Dec. 20. He started all 31 games a year ago, averaging 8.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 21.5 minutes per game.
Senior guard Mitch Ballock has scored 10 or more points 12 times this season, including a 13-point effort at Connecticut on Dec. 20. He is averaging 10.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and one steal per game. Ballock started all 31 games last season, averaging 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He led the team with 93 3-pointers made and 43.5 percent accuracy from 3-point range.
Why UConn can cover
The Huskies are led by sophomore guard James Bouknight, who scored 40 points in his Big East Conference debut against Creighton on Dec. 20. It was the second-highest total ever for a player making his Big East debut. He has scored 10 points or more in 12 of his 13 games and is averaging 19.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He is connecting on 47.2 percent of his field goals, including 33.9 percent from 3-point range, and 80.3 percent of his free throws.
Junior guard R.J. Cole had the hot hand for the Huskies in Thursday's win over DePaul with a team-high 16 points and eight assists. For the season, he is averaging 12.6 points, 4.3 assists, three rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He has posted 16 games of double-digit scoring, including a season-high 24 points at Xavier on Feb. 13. He is averaging 13 points per game against Creighton, including a five-assist effort on Jan. 23.
How to make Creighton vs. UConn picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 148 points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Creighton vs. UConn? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? 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.
