Big East Rundown: Ranked Teams Collide

Buckle up as the Big East’s top teams will look to keep on winning  There are just 1½ games separating the top four teams at the top of the conference standings. No. 17 Providence and 22nd-ranked Marquette are part of that tightly bunched group and they are scheduled to meet on Sunday.

No. 14 Villanova, No. 20 UConn and No. 21 Xavier will also be in action in what could be a fun weekend in the conference.

Villanova (-170) is the heavy favorite to win the Big East title followed by Providence (+300) and UConn (+500). If Marquette beats Providence on Sunday to extend its seven-game winning streak, look for the Golden Eagles’ odds to improve from +1500.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s games in the Big East with some information for those who bet online.

Georgetown Hoyas at Butler Bulldogs

• Date, time, TV: Saturday, Noon ET, FS1

The road team has won 10 of the last 12 meetings between Georgetown and Butler, including the Jan. 13 matchup when the visiting Bulldogs, who were listed by the college basketball spreads as three-point favorites, won 72-58.

Four of the last six games between the teams have gone under the total.

Georgetown (6-11, 0-6 Big East) has lost its last seven games and is 2-5 against the spread in those contests. Six of the last eight Georgetown games have gone over the total. The Hoyas have lost all four of their true road games.

Butler (10-10, 3-6) has lost four of its last five games but did roll to a 72-55 victory over Creighton on Wednesday, even though the host Bulldogs were listed by the Las Vegas odds as 2½-point underdogs. Each of Butler’s last five games has gone over the total.

Georgetown leading scorer Aminu Mohammed has connected on at least 50 percent of his shots in each of his last four games. He has played at least 30 minutes in his last seven outings.

Butler’s Aaron Thompson has 17 assists and only five turnovers in his last three games.

Xavier Musketeers at Creighton Bluejays

• Date, time, TV: Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, FS1

Xavier has won the last two games against Creighton, including an 80-73 victory on Jan. 15, although the Musketeers failed to cover as nine-point favorites.

No. 21 Xavier (14-5, 4-4) has failed to cover in each of its last five games including the one against Creighton. Four of its last five games ended up under the total. Jack Nunge is averaging 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds over his last four games.

Creighton (12-6, 4-3) has covered in three of its last four games and in its last three home games. Alex O’Connell is just 2 of 7 from 3-point range in his last two games after recording five games in a row with at least two 3-pointers.

St. John’s Red Storm at Villanova Wildcats

• Date, time, TV: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX

The last six games between the Red Storm and Wildcats have all ended up under the total. Villanova has won three of the last four games in the series, although St. John’s has covered against the Las Vegas odds in five of the last seven. Villanova has won the last three games when it was the home team.

The Red Storm (11-7, 3-4) have lost five of their last eight games and are also 3-5 against the spread during that stretch. Julian Champagnie is only 5 of 24 in the last two games after averaging 22.2 points in his previous eight contests.

The 14th-ranked Wildcats (15-5, 8-2) are 8-1 in their last nine games and are 7-2 against the spread in those contests. Villanova has alternated going over or under the total in its last 10 games. The total went under in the Wildcats’ most recent game. Villanova is 7-1 at home.

Collin Gillespie has 10 straight double-digit scoring games, including four 20-point efforts, for the Wildcats

UConn Huskies at DePaul Blue Demons

• Date, time, TV: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET, FS1

No. 20 UConn has won its last 12 games against DePaul, although the first nine of those came from 2008-13. The Huskies are 5-0 straight up and against the spread in their last five games as the road team against the Blue Demons.

UConn (14-4, 5-2) is 5-1 against the spread in its last six games, with all of the contests finishing over the total. Tyrese Martin is averaging 20 points and seven rebounds in his last two games.

DePaul (10-9, 1-8) has lost eight of its last nine games but covered in three of those matchups. Each of the Blue Demons’ last three games went under the total. Javon Freeman-Liberty, the top scorer in the Big East, has scored more than 20 points in six of his last nine games, but he has been sidelined for three straight contests (all DePaul losses) due to a groin injury.

Javon Freeman-Liberty remains out with a groin injury for tonight’s game at Villanova. Wildcats are favored by
17.5 points. #dpubb #depaul #BlueGrit https://t.co/iy4IduptVg

— WeAreDePaul.com (@WeAreDePaul) January 25, 2022

Marquette Golden Eagles at Providence Friars

• Date, time, TV: Sunday, 12:30 p.m. ET, FS1

The winner of the last 15 Marquette-Providence games has covered against the spread. The home team has won each of the last four games in the series, including an 88-56 win by Marquette on Jan. 4. Four of the last five games in the series have gone over the total.

Marquette (15-6, 7-3) has won its last seven games and covered in each of them. That streak includes three road victories. The first three games during the streak went over the total, with the last four all finishing under the total. Justin Lewis has three straight 20-point games, including 33 in a win over Seton Hall the last time out.

Providence (17-2, 7-1) has won four consecutive games and 12 of its last 13, covering in nine of those 13 matchups. Four of the Friars’ last five games ended up over the total.

Providence is 12-0 at home and is the only Big East team still undefeated at home. Jared Bynum is averaging 12.6 points and 5.0 assists over his last seven contests.