Arizona State vs Creighton Basketball Prediction & Picks: Will the surprising Sun Devils get the best of the Bluejays in Vegas?

Two college basketball teams moving in opposite directions meet tonight in Las Vegas, as Arizona State and Creighton face off at Michelob ULTRA Arena.

The Bluejays started 6-0 and reached the championship game of the Maui Invitational, but things have gone downhill since, and they enter their final non-conference tilt with four straight losses.

The Sun Devils lost to Texas Southern in overtime in their third game of the season, but they have since won seven straight games, including their first two in Pac-12 play.

Who do we think will take the victory tonight in Vegas? Read on for our Arizona State vs Creighton prediction, as well as our favorite bets for this intriguing Pac-12 vs Big East matchup.

Arizona State Sun Devils vs Creighton Bluejays Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Arizona State Sun Devils (9-1) vs Creighton Bluejays (6-4)
• Venue & Location: Michelob ULTRA Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)
• Date: Monday, December 12, 2022
• Game Time: 9:00 pm ET (6:00 pm local time)
• How to Watch Arizona State vs Creighton: FS1

Arizona State vs Creighton Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Monday, December 12, 2022, at 6:30 pm ET. This article may also include odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites.

Spread

• Creighton -3.5 (-105)
• Arizona State +3.5 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 141.5 (-110)
• Under 141.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Creighton -164
• Arizona State +136

Can Creighton Win Without Kalkbrenner?

On Saturday, Creighton’s losing streak was extended in agonizing fashion as they fell in the final seconds at BYU.

Even though the Cougars already have five losses, a win in Provo wasn’t going to come easily, especially without big man Ryan Kalkbrenner, who was out due to illness.

And with under three and a half minutes left, things looked bleak for the Bluejays, who trailed 79-68 after a BYU free throw. But they didn’t roll over, instead going on a 12-0 run and taking a one-point lead on Troy Alexander’s two free throws inside the final half minute.

However, there was no happy ending, as Dallin Hall followed up his own miss to put the Cougars back on top, and the hosts would go on to close out an 83-80 win.

Kalkbrenner, who is averaging 15.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.6 BPG this season, could miss a second straight game tonight.

With the team’s leading scorer sidelined on Saturday, Arthur Kaluma stepped up with 27 points. Can he put together another big performance if needed? He has yet to score 15+ points in consecutive games in his collegiate career.

Even if Kaluma does buck that trend, the Bluejays need sharper shooting from the likes of Alexander and Baylor Scheierman than they got against BYU.

Alexander scored 17 points against the Cougars, but he was only 3 of 12 from the field, while Scheierman was just 3 of 11 from the field.

Arizona State vs Creighton Prediction and Picks

Arizona State vs Creighton Prediction: Creighton to win

Arizona State vs Creighton Picks: Baylor Scheierman over 9.5 rebounds & Creighton to cover

Even if Kalkbrenner doesn’t play, talent and scoring options aren’t an issue for Creighton. It’s just down to whether or not those options deliver, which hasn’t happened like it needs to.

Arizona State does have wins over three teams ranked inside the top 70 at KenPom–#44 Michigan (neutral), #51 Colorado (away), and #66 Stanford (home)–but I’m not quite convinced by them just yet.

Things haven’t gone so great for the Bluejays as of late, but this is still a very, very good team, with or without Kalkbrenner, and I think that they will snap out of their skid tonight.

Look for Scheierman to be key to the outcome. He’s shooting only 31.9 percent (15 of 47) from the field and 28.6 percent (10 of 35) from three in Creighton’s losing streak, but those shots are going to start falling again.

While the scoring hasn’t quite been there, he has posted a double-double in every game of the streak. You can back him to bag 10+ boards at a decent number at Bovada Sportsbook (over 9.5 rebounds is -123 at the time of writing).