The Creighton Bluejays will look to advance to the second round for the fourth time in their last five appearances in the NCAA Tournament when they face the Kansas State Wildcats. The No. 8 seed Bluejays did not close out their season well, losing four of their last six games to finish 21-11 SU overall.
- Creighton is 1-5 SU in its last six games vs the Big 12.
- Kansas State is 0-3 SU and ATS in its past three first-round games in the NCAA Tournament.
- Kansas State is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games after a loss.
The Bluejays have been an awful wager for spread bettors lately, going 1-5 ATS in their last six games as a favorite. Creighton is led by guards Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas, who combined for 35.6 points per game this season. Foster will be familiar to Kansas State as he played there for two seasons before being dismissed from the team. Creighton’s uptempo style propelled the Bluejays to 84 points per game this season, which led to some impressive wins on its resume vs UCLA, Butler and Villanova.
As for No. 9 seed Kansas State, coming out of the Big 12 has prepped the Wildcats for stiff competition and they finished 5-3 SU and ATS in their last eight games. K-State will be paced by forward Dean Wade and guard Barry Brown, who both averaged over 16 points per game. Although both were recently hobbled by injuries, they should be ready to go vs the Bluejays.
The total opened at 144.5 and while trends are pointing toward an UNDER, the OVER may be the best option. Both of these teams shoot the lights out and combined to average 156 points per game. The OVER has hit in four of Creighton’s last six games, while neither team is known for defense, with both allowing over 70 points per game this season.
Kansas State Wildcats vs Creighton Bluejays Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Kansas State Wildcats will try to spoil the party and cover the point spread on Friday; they are 14-16 against the betting line this season, while the Creighton Bluejays are 15-16 ATS. The Wildcats are 11-18-1 on betting the total; the Bluejays are 17-14.
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Bluejays rated this week at No. 111 and the Wildcats sitting at No. 224.
Statistical Matchup
Scoring and defensive stats point to some betting edges in this matchup. The game features Creighton's No. 9-ranked scoring average of 84.28 PPG, against a Kansas State defense rated No. 49 and allowing 67.88 PPG. The Bluejays' FG% has averaged 49.7% to date this season, more than the Wildcats shooters have managed so far (47.21% per game).
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Makol Mawien went off for 29 points and added 4 rebounds but it wasn't enough as Kansas handed Kansas State a 83-67 defeat at Sprint Center.
Marcus Foster scored 19 points in a futile effort to lead the Bluejays to a win (they lost 72-68 to Providence at Madison Square Garden on Thursday).
