The 10th-ranked Villanova Wildcats can clinch their seventh Big East regular season title in the last eight seasons when they battle the No. 14 Creighton Bluejays on Wednesday evening. With just two games remaining in the regular season, the Wildcats (15-4 overall, 10-3 in Big East) hold a slim half-game cushion over the second-place Bluejays (17-6, 13-5). A victory on Wednesday would secure the conference title for Villanova, which has won at least a share of the title every year since the 2013-14 season. But Creighton also controls its own destiny and can win the title with victories over the Wildcats and Butler to close the season.
Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. The Wildcats are favored by 4.5-points in the latest Villanova vs. Creighton odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 146.5. Before making any Creighton vs. Villanova 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 $500 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 Villanova vs. Creighton. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Creighton vs. Villanova:
- Villanova vs. Creighton spread: Wildcats -4.5
- Villanova vs. Creighton over-under: 146.5 points
- Villanova vs. Creighton money line: Villanova -210, Creighton +175
- NOVA: The Wildcats rank third in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.67)
- CREI: Marcus Zegarowski leads team in points per game (14.9)
Why Villanova can cover
Jermaine Samuels has enhanced his offensive game in the last few weeks. The senior forward from Franklin, Mass., has averaged 15.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in his last six outings, while shooting 51.8 percent from the field and hitting 12-of-20 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc. Prior to his hot stretch, Samuels averaged 9.2 points while shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 30.8 percent on 3-pointers.
In addition, Villanova is a much better team at home than on the road. Away from home, the Wildcats are 7-4 this season, shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 33.4 percent on 3-pointers. But at home they are 8-0 and shoot 48.3 and 40.3 percent, respectively.
Why Creighton can cover
Marcus Zegarowski is having another standout season for the Bluejays. The junior point guard from Hamilton, Mass., who was an honorable mention All-American last season, ranks eighth in the Big East in points per game (14.9) and fourth in assists (4.6). He scored a season-high 25 points the last time Creighton faced Villanova.
In addition, the Bluejays have had the Wildcats' number recently. Creighton has won the last two meetings between the teams. That includes an 86-70 blowout of then-No. 5 Villanova on Feb. 13.
How to make Creighton vs. Villanova picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams combine for 154 points. It also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Villanova vs. Creighton? And which side of the spread hits 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.