Games to Bet in the Big East This Weekend
Then there was one as Villanova is the last remaining Big East team yet to lose in conference play after Providence fell at home to Seton Hall. UConn, Marquette and Butler are all undefeated at home. Keep that in mind when it comes to making NCAAB picks.
Villanova barely escaped with a home win against Xavier on Wednesday. Two missed free throws from Eric Dixon gave Xavier a chance to win the game at the buzzer, but Desmond Claude’s final shot was no good.
The biggest Big East matchup this weekend could be the one between Providence and Creighton. The Bluejays have won three of the last four home dates versus Providence. The Friars did cover against the college basketball betting lines in their 73-67 loss as a 7½-point underdog the last time they headed to Omaha.
UConn moved up one spot to No. 4 in both national polls. Marquette comes in at No. 7 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. Providence is the only other Big East team in the Top 25 although Creighton could move into the rankings with a win over the Friars.
When looking at the college basketball futures odds, UConn is tied for fourth with +1200 odds of winning the national championship. Marquette is close behind at +1400 in the championship odds. Villanova is the next closest Big East team with +5000 odds to win it all.
UConn (12-2 SU, 8-6 ATS) vs Butler (10-4 SU, 7-6 ATS)
- Date/Time: Friday, Jan. 5, 6:30 p.m. ET
- UConn vs Butler Live Stream: TBS.com
The defending national champion Huskies didn’t fare so well the last time they played a Big East game on the road as Seton Hall rolled to a 15-point win.
Although the teams met in the 2011 national championship game, there isn’t much history between the programs. UConn has won all six games since the Huskies and Bulldogs became conference rivals.
The Huskies have been favored in each of those games and covered in each contest.
UConn continues to play without 7-foot-2 sophomore Donovan Clingan.
Cam Spencer and Alex Karaban combined for seven 3-pointers as UConn opened 2024 with an emphatic 85-56 win over DePaul.
Butler wasn’t as fortunate as St. John’s never trailed on its way to the 86-70 win over the visiting Bulldogs. UC Irvine transfer DJ Davis led Butler with 25 points in the loss.
The Bulldogs have covered against the college basketball spread in four of their first seven home games.
Butler leads the Big East with nearly 60% of its games finishing over the total. However, that number drops to 50% at home.
Marquette (11-3 SU, 7-6-1 ATS) vs Seton Hall (9-5 SU, 6-8 ATS)
- Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 6, Noon ET
- Marquette vs. Seton Hall Live Stream: TBS.com
This game makes the cut because of Seton Hall’s growing reputation as a giant killer. The Pirates are coming off a road win against Providence and opened more than a few eyes with the way they handled UConn in a late December home game.
Marquette is just 1-2 on the road. The Golden Eagles haven’t played since topping Creighton in a matchup of ranked teams on Dec. 30 behind 15 points and eight assists from guard Tyler Kolek. Sophomore Sean Jones had 15 points off the bench.
Senior Kadary Richmond leads Seton Hall with averages of 15.3 points and 4.4 assists per game.
Marquette has won four games in a row against Seton Hall with two of those wins coming on the road. The Golden Eagles have covered in each of the last five games versus the Pirates while five of the last six games in the series have landed under the total.
Marquette has failed to cover in two of its first three road games. Seton Hall is 4-4 ATS at home.
Providence (11-3 SU, 7-6-1 ATS) vs Creighton (10-4 SU, 8-6 ATS)
- Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 6, 2 p.m.ET
- Providence vs Creighton Live Stream: TBS.com
The final game could easily have been the matchup between St. John’s and Big East-leading Villanova, but we chose the game between Providence and Creighton teams that have both spent time ranked in the Top 25 in the national polls.
This has been a very competitive series. Since Creighton won three games in a row from 2018-2020, Providence has won four of the seven meetings.
The home teams won both games last season with Creighton winning by six points as a 7.5-point favorite and Providence taking the rematch 94-86 as a one-point underdog. That game ended a stretch when five of six games landed under the total.
Returning starters Devin Carter and Bryce Hopkins both average more than 15 points and eight rebounds for Providence. However, Hopkins suffered a season-ending knee injury in the loss to Seton Hall.
Bryce Hopkins Suffers Season Ending Knee Injuryhttps://t.co/OmBHKZsC08
— Providence MBB (@PCFriarsmbb) January 4, 2024
Baylor Scheierman, Tyler Alexander and Ryan Kalkbrenner all put up more than 15 points per game and are the top three rebounders for Creighton.
Creighton is 4-3 against the spread at home while Providence failed to cover in its only other true road game this season.
Questions of the Day
Can Creighton's offensive firepower overcome Providence's stifling defense in Saturday afternoon's showdown?
Creighton fared pretty well the last time Providence came to town and will look to add another home game versus the Friars.
Which under-the-radar Big East team is primed for a breakout performance this Week?
Keep an eye on St. John’s as the Red Storm face Villanova and Providence. The game against the Friars is at home.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
