The Tulsa Golden Hurricane, out of Conference USA, head to CenturyLink Center Omaha this Saturday afternoon to tangle with the Big East’s No. 23 Creighton Bluejays. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on Fox Sports Net.

It has been a rough start for the Golden Hurricane with three straight losses, including a 77-54 setback to No. 14 Wichita State this past Wednesday as a 5.5-point home underdog. The total stayed “under” the 154-point line after going “over” in a 93-96 loss to Missouri State as a 4.5-point underdog on the road.

The Bluejays have been strong out of the gate with three straight victories that vaulted them into the national rankings in both major polls. They were idle this week after beating Saint Joseph’s 83-79 last Saturday as 3.5-point road favorites. This was their only game so far with a posted line. The total went over the 148.5-point line against the Hawks.

Tulsa at Creighton Betting Storylines

Tulsa comes into this contest averaging 71.7 points a game behind Shaquille Harrison and Rashad Smith, who are each scoring 14.7 points a game. Harrison is shooting 53.1 percent from the field and leading the team with 3.0 assists, and Smith has converted on 63.6 percent of his 22 shots from the floor.

The Golden Hurricane as a team are shooting 46.7 percent from the field, but they have not been a threat from deep outside, hitting on just 13 of their 43 shots from beyond the arc. James Woodard leads the team in rebounds with 7.7 a game, but they have struggled under the boards with an average of 30 rebounds a game Tulsa has been a disaster from the free throw line with a shooting percentage of just 57.7 percent.

Creighton has averaged 95.3 points a game, which is the seventh-highest total in the nation, and they are ranked 11th in shooting percentage; hitting on a rock-solid 54 percent of their shots from the field. The Bluejays are the best team in the country at moving the ball around with an average of 23.7 assists a game, and they are pulling down a solid 41.7 rebounds.

At the center of this impressive performance in almost every facet of the game is Doug McDermott, who is a legitimate candidate for this season’s Wooden Award. He is averaging 25.7 points a game while shooting 55.8 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from three-point range. He is second on the team in rebounds with 5.7 a game. Devin Brooks leads the team in rebounds with 6.3, and Ethan Wragge is second in scoring with 14 points a game.

Tulsa at Creighton NCAA Betting Odds and Trends

BetOnline has opened the Bluejays as 19-point home favorites for this contest, with the total still listed as “off”.

The Golden Hurricane are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six road games and 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 games against a team with SU winning record. The total has gone over in seven of their last nine games.

The Bluejays are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against Conference USA opponents and 6-1 ATS in their last seven nonconference games. The total has stayed under in 13 of their last 18 games outside the conference.

These two have met the past two seasons, with Creighton winning both games SU, but last year the Bluejays could not cover as 20-point home favorites in a 71-54 victory. There was no posted total line for that game.

Free College Basketball Picks: Tulsa at Creighton Betting Predictions

The Golden Hurricane are a decent team with a couple of solid scorers that will win their fair share of conference games this season, but they are way out of their league against one of the up-and-coming teams in the country. McDermott should have a field day on his home court as the Bluejays roll to a victory that covers the spread.

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