Thursday, March 9, 2017

Madison Square Garden

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The Creighton Bluejays travel to Madison Square Garden to play the Providence Friars on Thursday, March 9, 2017. The opening line for this game has Creighton as 2 point favorites.

The Bluejays come into this game with an overall record of 23-8 and a road record of 7-4. They are 18-11 against the spread and their over/under record is 13-15. The Friars have an overall record of 20-11 and a home record of 15-3. They have an over/under record of 14-15 and they are 20-11 against the spread.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other NCAA basketball games check out our handicapping tips.

Marcus Foster comes into this contest averaging 18.5 points per game while playing 30.8 minutes per night so far this season for the Bluejays. He pulls down 2.9 rebounds per game and dishes out 2.4 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 47% while his free throw percentage is currently at 73%. Justin Patton averages 13.1 points per game in 25.1 minutes per contest this season. He averages 1.3 assists per contest and 6.3 rebounds per game for Creighton. His field goal percentage is 69% for the year while his free throw percentage is 54%.

Rodney Bullock averages 16.1 points per game while playing 32.8 minutes per contest this year for the Friars. He grabs 6.4 rebounds per game and has 1.5 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 44% and his free throw percentage currently is at 75%. Emmitt Holt averages 12.3 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 27.3 minutes per contest. He also averages 5.2 rebounds per contest and 1.1 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 52% and his free throw percentage is 68%.

Creighton averages 83.5 points per contest this season which ranks them 16th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 10.5 and their shooting percentage is 51% as a team which has them ranked 3rd. Behind the arc they shoot 40% which is good for 11th in the country. They average 35.2 rebounds per game and 17.7 assists per game which ranks them 208th and 5th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 256th with 12.3 per game. The Bluejays allow 72.9 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 202nd in the nation. They also allow a 44% shooting percentage and a 33% average from behind the arc ranking them 172nd and 96th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 35.9 rebounds a game which ranks 215th and they give up 13.0 assists per contest which puts them in 156th place in the country. They force 13.9 turnovers per game which ranks them 240th in Division 1.

Providence averages 70.6 points per game this year which ranks them 239th in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 4.1 and their shooting percentage is 45% as a team which has them sitting in the 155th spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 37% which is good for 72nd in the nation. They average 33.4 rebounds per game and 14.4 assists per contest which ranks them 287th and 116th respectively. In the turnover department the Friars rank 253rd with 12.3 per game. The Friars allow 66.5 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 50th in the country. They also allow a 44% shooting percentage and a 33% average from behind the arc ranking them 194th and 80th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 34.5 rebounds a game which ranks 138th and they give up 12.0 assists per contest which puts them in 84th place in the nation. The Friars force 14.0 turnovers per game which ranks them 246th in college basketball.

The Bluejays are 22nd in the nation in offensive rating at 114.1. They assist on 56.3% of their shots, which ranks 92nd in the country. In terms of pace they average 73.1 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 40th among D-1 teams. They are 2nd in effective field goal percentage with 58%. As a team they are 9th in the country in true shooting percentage with 60% and they shoot 3 pointers on 36% of their shots. Creighton turns the ball over an average of 15.1 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 8.6% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 49.5% places them 222nd in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 25%.

The Friars are 176th in the nation in offensive rating at 104.2. They assist on 58.8% of their shots, which ranks 49th in the country. In terms of pace they average 67.5 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 277th among D-1 teams. They are 149th in effective field goal percentage with 52%. As a team they are 148th in the country in true shooting percentage with 55% and they shoot 3 pointers on 36% of their shots. Providence turns the ball over an average of 16.2 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 10% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 49.2% places them 245th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 26.6%.

Creighton Bluejays Betting Trends

The Creighton Bluejays are 18-11 against the spread

The Creighton Bluejays are 13-15 against the over/under

Providence Friars Betting Trends

The Providence Friars are 20-11 against the spread

The Providence Friars are 14-15 against the over/under

Creighton Bluejays Injuries

01/17/17 G Mo Watson Jr. Knee out for season

Providence Friars Injuries

No key injuries to report

Guy's Pick: Take Providence +2

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