The No. 8 Creighton Bluejays (21-11) square off with the No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats (22-11) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at Spectrum Center. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:50 p.m. ET on Friday, March 16, 2018.
Creighton opened as a 1-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 144.5 points.
Kansas State Wildcats vs. Creighton Bluejays Free Prediction
The Wildcats are trying to rebound after their 83-67 loss to the No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 Conference Tourney. Kansas’ offensive rebounding percentage was their largest advantage over Kansas State. The Jayhawks had a rate of 26.5 (below their season average of 29.4), while the Wildcats posted a mark of 15.2 (below their season average of 26.6). Makol Mawien was the game’s leading scorer with 29 points on 13-for-19 shooting.
In the Big East Conference Tourney, the Bluejays lost to the Providence Friars, 72-68. Providence won the rebounding battle. The Friars had more offensive rebounds (16 vs. seven) and total rebounds (45 vs. 39). With 19 points on 8-for-18 shooting, Marcus Foster was the top scorer from either team.
This game should be a matchup of conflicting tempos. Creighton has preferred to play up-tempo (34th in possessions per game), while Kansas State has been more half-court-oriented (316th in possessions per game). Furthermore, put-back points could be rare for the Wildcats. They rank 271st in the NCAA in offensive rebounding percentage at 26.2 percent, while the Bluejays are 32nd-best on the defensive glass (defensive rebounding percentage of 75.5 percent).
Kansas State heads into the contest with records of 22-11 straight up (SU) and 14-16 against the spread (ATS). Of the Wildcats’ 30 games with betting action, 18 have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, Creighton owns records of 21-11 SU and 14-16 ATS. Unlike Kansas State, just over half of Bluejays games have finished over the projected point total.
Kansas State Wildcats vs. Creighton Bluejays Free Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Creighton, ATS Winner – Creighton, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Creighton ranks 15th in three-pointers attempted per game (27.8) while Kansas State ranks 216th (20.2).
The Bluejays rank 113th in rebounds per game (36.3) while the Wildcats rank 297th (30.6).
Kansas State ranks 20th in steals per game (7.8) while Creighton ranks 173rd (5.7).
The Bluejays rank sixth in assists per game (18.0) while the Wildcats rank 113th (14.3).
Kansas State ranks 21st in blocks allowed per game (2.5) while Creighton ranks 71st (2.9).
Bettings Trends:
The Wildcats have been outscored by an average of 4.0 points in their last five games. For the season, Kansas State has defeated opponents by an average of 4.5 points.
During their last five games, the Bluejays have scored an average of 78.0 points per game (6.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 78.0 points per game (3.8 above their season average).
