Creighton Ready to Shoot Butler's Lights Out?

The race for the Big East title is a hot one – and the Creighton Bluejays can do themselves a huge favor in that regard as they host struggling Butler on Sunday afternoon. The Bluejays have won eight of their last nine games and are one of the hottest ATS teams in the nation, while the Bulldogs have dropped seven of their last 11 to drop out of conference title contention.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Creighton opened at or around -4.5 at most sportsbooks but has risen to -5.5 or even -6 in some spots. The Sportsbook total of 142 has dipped into the high-130s.

Butler Bulldogs News & Notes

The Bulldogs are still looking at a decent seed for this year's NCAA tournament, but they had better improve their perimeter defense if they have any hope of making a run in March. Butler has allowed three of its last five opponents to shoot better than 45 percent from 3-point range, highlighted by a Georgetown team that went 10-of-15 from deep in a 73-66 win last weekend.

Butler can ill afford those kinds of defensive lapses with its offense still scuffling as we enter the final week of February. The Bulldogs rank outside the top-250 nationally in scoring average (68.8 points per game); they're led by standout guard Kamar Baldwin, who averages 16.3 points per game and is one of only two Butler players to score in double figures.

Creighton Bluejays News & Notes

Of the three teams with double-digit Big East Conference wins, Creighton might have the easiest path to the regular-season title. Not only will it play three of its final four games at CHI Health Center Omaha, three of those contests come against teams ranked no higher than fifth in the conference. The key game over that stretch: next weekend's season finale vs. visiting Seton Hall.

And if the Bluejays continue to click on offense as they have over the past six weeks, they should have no trouble challenging for the crown. They've scored 75 or more points in nine of their previous 11 games, bringing their season scoring mark to 78.1 – ranking inside the top 40 nationally. Ty-Shon Alexander leads the way at 16.9 points, one of four Bluejays averaging 12+ ppg. 

Betting Pick: Creighton -4.5

The Bluejays' offense has been virtually unstoppable of late – and with the Bluejays ranked 17th in 3-point success rate and the Bulldogs having all sorts of problems defending the arc, we like the home team to continue its cover streak.