The Butler Bulldogs (18-9) wrap up the regular season on the road at the Verizon Center when they square off with the Georgetown Hoyas (14-14). The game starts at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 27 and can be seen on CBS.
The Hoyas are hoping for a better outcome after their 88-70 loss to Xavier in their last game. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera finished with 18 points to lead the team. The Bulldogs are coming off a 77-67 loss at the hands of Villanova in their last game. Roosevelt Jones had a good game for Butler, accumulating 16 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
The Bulldogs should minimize miscues in this matchup. They rank eighth in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of 14.7%). Meanwhile, Georgetown forces the 79th-fewest mistakes in the nation, with just 16.9% of opponents’ possessions ending in a turnover.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Bulldogs winning the first matchup 87-76. Kelan Martin was a standout player in the game, producing 35 points, eight rebounds, one steal, four blocks, and three three-pointers.
The Hoyas have gone 14-14 Straight Up (SU) and 13-15 Against The Spread (ATS). The Hoyas are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .758 from the free throw line. Georgetown’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 5.0 three-pointers per game. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Hoyas, ranking 49th in the country in blocks per game with 4.7.
Across the court, the Bulldogs have records of 13-13-1 ATS and 18-9 SU. Most recently, Butler is a meager 3-7 ATS over the last 10 games. Offensively, they average 80.3 points per game, which is good for 26th in the country. The Bulldogs convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 41st in the nation at .738. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Bulldogs. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the country at 1.43.
The Bulldogs’ win over Georgetown in their last clash wasn’t enough for them to overtake Georgetown in their recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 2-5 SU over the most recent meetings. Additionally, Georgetown holds the advantage ATS with a record of 4-3. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Georgetown held the edge in all three of these categories one time in the last five meetings. Butler never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Butler, ATS Winner – Butler
Notes
“Georgetown is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games “.
“Georgetown is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of Georgetown’s last 8 games “.
“Georgetown is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Georgetown is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home”.
“Georgetown is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Butler”.
Butler averages 80.3 points per game (ranked 26th). Georgetown, on the other hand, allows 70.5 points per game (ranked 125th).
In its last game, Georgetown lost by a margin of 18 points. Butler is 7-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Georgetown has a 4-1 record in blowouts.
Butler beats Georgetown in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Bulldogs average 69.1 possessions and 1.162 points per possession, while the Hoyas average 69.0 possessions with 1.060 points per possession.
Georgetown has an average effective field goal percentage of 51.0%. Butler is an even 6-6 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Georgetown Hoyas average 23.0 three point attempts per game, and the Butler Bulldogs attempt 18.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, Georgetown is an even 11-11, while Butler has an exceptional record of 6-2.
Butler ranks 30th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.43. Georgetown is ranked lower at 130th with an A/TO of 1.13.
On average, Georgetown makes 5.7 steals per game. Butler has a solid 10-4 record when it gives up at least 5 steals.
