The No. 20 Creighton Bluejays will try and continue their early cruise through their new conference this Saturday night with a trip to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center to face the Providence Friars. This Big East clash is set to get underway at 8 p.m. (ET), and the game will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1.

The Bluejays are making it look easy with a 5-0 straight up start in the Big East as part of a current 10-game SU winning streak heading into this contest. They are 15-2 SU overall and a profitable 11-4 against the spread. Even more attractive to bettors is a 9-1 record ATS in their last 10 games.

Providence improved to 12-5 SU on the year with a hard-fought 84-83 victory over St. John’s in double overtime this past Thursday night as a four-point road underdog. The win evened its mark to 2-2 in conference play with previous losses to Seton Hall and Villanova followed by an 18-point victory over Georgetown in a game that ended as a “pick”.

Creighton at Providence Betting Storylines

Creighton started the season outside the Top 25 but was able to work its way to No. 20 in late November before consecutive losses to San Diego State and George Washington as a home favorite ended its stay. The Bluejays have actually elevated their form during this second run up the polls with double-digit margins of victory in nine of their last 10 games. This past Tuesday, they hammered Butler by 28 points as 10.5-point home favorites.

The player at the center of it all is senior forward Doug McDermott, who is one of the nation’s top contenders for the Wooden Award honoring the outstanding college basketball player of the year. He is averaging 25.2 points while shooting an impressive 49.5 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from 3-point range and 89.6 percent from the free throw line. He has also been a force under the boards with 7.2 rebounds a game. The Bluejays are averaging 82.6 points a game and shooting 49.1 percent from the floor. They are also ranked first in the nation in assists with 19.1 a game, but the team leader in this category, Grant Gibbs, remains out of the lineup with a dislocated knee.

If the Friars are going to have any chance at extending their winning streak to three games, they will need another big night from Bryce Cotton. He led the way against St. John’s with a team-high 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. He is averaging 20.2 a game this season but shooting just 40.1 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from 3-point range. Tyler Harris is adding another 13.4 points, and LaDontae Henton leads the team in rebounds with 7.4 while scoring 12.8 points a game.

Providence, as a whole, has struggled shooting the ball with a field goal percentage of 41.0 that is ranked near the bottom of Division I. It is averaging 72.5 points a game while holding opponents to 67.1 points on the other end of the court. The Friars have also had issues shooting the ball from outside with a 32.5 percent conversion rate from beyond the arc, but one area where they are ranked ahead of the curve is at the foul line, where they have capitalized on 80.1 percent on their attempts.

Creighton at Providence NCAA Betting Odds and Game Trends

BetOnline has opened the Bluejays as six-point road favorites over Providence for Saturday night’s Big East clash.

The Bluejays are 17-5 ATS in their last 22 games and 8-1 ATS in their last nine games following a SU win. The total has stayed “under” in 17 of their last 22 games on the road.

The Friars are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games and 5-12-1 ATS in their last 18 games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has stayed under in nine of their last 11 games following a SU win.

These two last met in 2000, with Creighton coming out on top 63-51 as an eight-point favorite on the road.

Free College Basketball Picks: Creighton at Providence Betting Predictions

The Bluejays are not only winning games lately, they are dominating them, and there is nothing that tells me that things will be any different this Saturday night against Providence. Give the Friars credit for a couple of spirited wins in their last two outings, but they will struggle to keep this game closer than 10 points let alone the current six-point spread.

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