It will be a battle between Big East opponents when the DePaul Blue Demons (8-10, 1-5 Big East) welcome the Butler Bulldogs (13-7, 3-4 Big East) to Wintrust Arena. The game starts at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 20, 2018.
Butler Bulldogs vs. DePaul Blue Demons Betting Prediction
The last time the Bulldogs played, they were defeated by the Providence Friars, 70-60. Providence’s free throw rate was their biggest strength over Butler. The Friars had a rate of 0.250 (below their season average of 0.285), while the Bulldogs posted a mark of 0.159 (below their season average of 0.196). Kamar Baldwin was the top scorer from either team with 25 points on 9-for-22 shooting.
The Blue Demons lost big to the Marquette Golden Eagles in their last game, 70-52. Marquette’s 0.500 effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over DePaul, who had a mark of 0.313. The Golden Eagles’ mark was below their season average of 0.569, while the Blue Demons’ was below their season average of 0.486. DePaul’s Max Strus put up 10 points and seven rebounds in the contest.
The prolific offense of Butler will square off against the mid-tier defense of DePaul. The Bulldogs rank 66th in offensive efficiency, while the Blue Demons are 170th in defensive efficiency. The Bulldogs figure to have the advantage on that end of the court.
Baldwin has averaged 19.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals over the last five games for Butler.
After the Bulldogs won both matchups against the Blue Demons last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last contest, Butler won 82-66. The Bulldogs had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (25.0 vs. 11.1) and had a much better turnover percentage (9.8 vs. 16.2).
Butler Bulldogs vs. DePaul Blue Demons Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Butler, ATS Winner – Butler, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Butler ranks 128th in three pointers allowed per game (21.6) while DePaul ranks 254th (25.3).
The Bulldogs rank 46th in rebounds allowed per game (32.3) while the Blue Demons rank 155th (35.7).
Butler ranks 23rd in steals allowed per game (5.0) while DePaul ranks 108th (6.4).
The Bulldogs rank 117th in assists per game (14.2) while the Blue Demons rank 172nd in assists allowed per game (14.6).
Bettings Trends:
The Bulldogs have been outscored by an average of 4.0 points in their last five games. For the season, Butler has defeated opponents by an average of 7.1 points.
During their last five games, the Blue Demons have scored an average of 72.0 points per game (2.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 76.4 points per game (4.2 above their season average).
