The Creighton Bluejays (14-8) and the Big East’s fourth-ranked offense head to Villanova to play the No. 3-ranked Wildcats (18-3) and the top-ranked defense in the conference. Action starts at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 3 and can be seen on CCS.
The Wildcats come into this game on a high note after defeating St. John’s 68-53 on Sunday. Mikal Bridges had 13 points, four rebounds, and two steals for Villanova. The Bluejays, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 75-65 loss at the hands of Seton Hall on Saturday. James Milliken had a team-high 21 points.
It will be a showdown of strength versus strength, as the productive offense of the Bluejays (32nd in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 114.3) takes the court against the top-notch defense of the Wildcats (ninth in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 92.1).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Wildcats winning the first matchup 85-71. Josh Hart was a standout player in the game, producing 25 points, five rebounds, two assists, three steals, one block, and two three-pointers.
The Wildcats have gone 18-3 Straight Up (SU) and 10-10 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a solid 9-1 SU record over their last 10 games, but have not fared as well ATS (3-7). Villanova has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a superb .753. Villanova is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.39.
In the other locker room, the Bluejays head into the game with records of 13-8 ATS and 14-8 SU. The Bluejays rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the 25th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.44.
The Wildcats’ win over Creighton in their last game bumped their SU record to 3-2 over Creighton in their most recent meetings. On the other hand, Creighton holds the advantage ATS with a record of 3-2. Villanova and Creighton each held the edge in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once in their last five meetings.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cre, ATS Winner – Cre
Notes
Villanova is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games.
Villanova is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games.
Villanova is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Villanova’s last 12 games at home.
Villanova sits at 8-1 SU against its conference rivals, while Creighton is 5-4 SU.
Ranked ninth, the Villanova Wildcats have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 92.1 points per 100 possessions. The Creighton Bluejays rank 32nd in offense, scoring 114.3 points in the same number of possessions.
The Creighton Bluejays average a field goal percentage of 47.5% this season. The Villanova Wildcats are a winless 0-1 when opponents have a FG% of 47.5% or greater.
The Villanova Wildcats and the Creighton Bluejays both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Villanova is 82nd and 51st in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Creighton is 36th and 30th in these categories.
Villanova ranks 59th in assists, recording 15.7 per game. Creighton ranks 51st with 15.8 assists per game.
Villanova ranks 238th in offensive rebounds, while Creighton ranks 77th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Creighton forces a turnover rate of 18.5%. When Villanova turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a fantastic 8-1 record.
