Big East foes will lock horns when the Butler Bulldogs (14-7) face the Georgetown Hoyas (13-9) at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 2 and can be seen on FS1.
The Bulldogs are hoping to rebound after their 75-69 loss to Marquette on Saturday. Kelan Martin was the team’s leading scorer with 27 points. The Hoyas, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 73-69 loss against Providence on Saturday. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera had a good game for Georgetown, accounting for 18 points, five assists, and three steals.
Martin has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Bulldogs. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.6 three-pointers.
The Bulldogs could put on a ball-control clinic in this one. They’re ranked seventh in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of only 14.8%). Additionally, Georgetown forces the 82nd-fewest turnovers in the nation (17.4%).
Butler is a six-point favorite against Georgetown and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 145 points. The Bulldogs have gone 14-7 Straight Up (SU) and 8-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 2-7-1 ATS. The Bulldogs have no trouble scoring as they rank 31st in the nation in offense with 80.9 points per game. The Bulldogs are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .736 from the free throw line. Butler is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.44.
Over on the other bench, the Hoyas have 13-9 SU and 11-9 ATS records. The Hoyas get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, ranking 45th in the nation with 376 made (17.0 per game). Moving on to the Georgetown defense, blocking shots is an area where it has excelled. The Hoyas average 5.0 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
These conference foes will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their most recent meeting a season ago, Georgetown came out on top, bumping its SU record over their most recent meetings to 5-1. Furthermore, Georgetown holds the advantage ATS with a record of 4-2. Georgetown held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once, while Butler was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Butler, ATS Winner – Butler, O/U – Over
Notes
Butler is 1-7-1 ATS in its last 9 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Butler’s last 7 games.
Butler is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Butler’s last 6 games at home.
Butler is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Georgetown.
Butler averages 80.9 points per game (ranked 31st). Georgetown, on the other hand, allows 68.9 points per game (ranked 118th).
Georgetown scores 73.6 points per away game (ranked 97th). Butler ranks a poor 122nd in points allowed at home, allowing 66.2 points.
The Butler Bulldogs average 69.0 possessions and 1.172 points per possession in games this season. The Georgetown Hoyas average fewer possessions with 68.8, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.066.
Georgetown has an average effective field goal percentage of 51.5%. Butler is an even 4-4 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Butler Bulldogs average 18.0 three point attempts per game, and the Georgetown Hoyas attempt 22.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Butler is 4-1 and Georgetown is 10-6.
Georgetown, the 42nd-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.0 per game. Butler does worse, ranked 224th with 3.0.
Georgetown makes an average of 5.5 steals per game. Butler has a solid 7-3 record when it allows at least 5 steals.
