Providence vs Creighton Basketball Prediction & Picks: Will the Friars stay perfect in the Big East?

After road losses at UConn and Xavier, Creighton is back home for a big game this afternoon against #18 Providence, who will be looking to remain undefeated in Big East play.

The Bluejays (9-8, 3-3 Big East) and Friars (14-3, 6-0 Big East) are set for a 2:00 pm ET (1:00 pm local time) tip at CHI Health Center Omaha, and it will be the second half of a Big East hoops doubleheader on FS1.

After losing six straight games in November and December, the Bluejays got their season back on track with consecutive home wins over Butler, DePaul, and Seton Hall.

But a step up in competition away from the comforts of home didn’t produce positive results, as they fell to the Huskies and Musketeers.

With one of the toughest schedules in college basketball and a number of winnable games ahead, Creighton is still very much on course to go dancing in March. But that six-game skid has minimized the margin for error from here on, and that makes today a must-win game.

Will the Bluejays end the Friars’ perfect start? Read on for our Providence vs Creighton prediction and picks.

Providence vs Creighton Odds

Odds are via BetOnline as of Saturday, January 14, 2023, at 8:40 am ET. This article may also include odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites.

Spread

• Providence +6.5 (-110)
• Creighton -6.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 145.5 (-110)
• Under 145.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Providence +220
• Creighton -275

Can Perfect Providence Continue to Defy the Odds?

While Xavier, who is also 6-0 in the Big East, was picked second by the conference’s coaches in the preseason, Providence was picked to finish fifth after losing most of the core of the team that won the regular season title last season.

But Ed Cooley and the Friars aren’t interested in giving up their crown easily, and they enter today’s matchup in Omaha with six straight conference wins and nine straight wins overall since a loss at TCU on November 30.

They don’t always win pretty, and they don’t always make it easy, but they keep getting it done.

Stats & Metrics for Providence

Offense

• PPG: 79.9
• FG%: 47.2%
• 3PT%: 35.0%
• 2PT%: 52.5%
• FT%: 73.0%
• Offensive Efficiency: 20th

Defense

• PPG: 68.1
• FG%: 42.0%
• 3PT%: 32.0%
• 2PT%: 46.5%
• FT%: 73.1%
• Defensive Efficiency: 55th

That said, they are going to really have to bring their best to win at Creighton, provided the Bluejays play to the level that they are capable of.

They did that for a lot of their game at Xavier on Wednesday and produced one of their best offensive performances of the season against the Musketeers.

Unfortunately, after leading by six with nine minutes left, Creighton couldn’t close the deal. They did give themselves a chance to tie or go ahead in the waning moments, but turned the ball over and went on to lose 90-87.

It is certainly a disappointing loss and a missed opportunity, but often enough, if you shoot 50% (32 of 64) from the field, 43.5% (10 of 23) from three, make 81.3% (13 of 16) of your free throws, and score 80+ points while turning the ball over fewer times than your opponent, you will win.

At their best, the Bluejays can hang with and beat anyone, as they showed in the 6-0 start that saw them make the Maui Invitational championship game.

But they can’t keep losing close games, and they can’t waste opportunities like the one that they will have today to beef up their NCAA Tournament resume, even with the extra wiggle room the committee may give them due to their schedule and Ryan Kalkbrenner missing the losses to BYU, Arizona State, and Marquette.

Providence vs Creighton Prediction and Picks

Providence vs Creighton Prediction: Creighton to win

Providence vs Creighton Picks: Providence/Creighton over 145.5* & Providence/Creighton first half over 68.5 (Best Value: Bovada Sportsbook)

*If no best value is listed, the bet is listed for the same or similar odds at our recommended sportsbooks, as opposed to there being any noteworthy disparities.

If the Bluejays bring the same effort they did at Xavier on Wednesday, they will get the win in this one.

But this is a sizable spread, even against a Providence team that has only one comparable road matchup so far this season. And in that matchup, they lost by 13 at TCU, which is their most recent loss to date.

We’re going to learn a lot about Providence today and next Wednesday when they visit Marquette, but I’m not going to sit here and doubt their ability to be competitive in this game or be too confident that Creighton, whose wins since their hot start have come against three mediocre teams.

So, there are no spread picks for me here. But I like the potential for some good scoring.

Offense wasn’t the culprit for Creighton in the loss to Xavier, and Providence has failed to score 70 points only three times this season, in a season-opening win over Rider, the loss at TCU, and a 74-64 loss to Miami.