Creighton vs UConn Odds, Picks, Predictions (1/7/23) NCAAB

Creighton visits UConn in a big early Big East battle. Creighton is coming off winning three straight after losing six straight before that. On the other side, UConn’s lost two straight after winning their first 14 games. This should be an interesting matchup for the Big East Title race. Let’s take a look at the odds and make some picks and predictions for this game!

Creighton vs. UConn Odds

UConn is a 6.5-point home favorite against Creighton and is at -315 on the money line. The over/under is also at 141.5. UConn being this much of a favorite makes sense because Creighton has Ryan Kalkbrenner back, and have looked much better with him. The over/under makes sense because both of these teams are very good on the offensive side of the ball. This spread could move a bit before tip-off too, it will be interesting to see.

Creighton vs. UConn Prediction & Pick

The pick: UConn -6.5

UConn needs to rebound after losing two straight games. They’ve been great all year, but have hit speed bumps in the last two games against Xavier and Providence. Adama Sanogo has been a beast for the Huskies down low this year and he leads the team in scoring and rebounding. The next best player behind Sanogo has been Jordan Hawkins at the shooting guard spot. He’s the second-leading scorer for the Huskies too. Alex Karaban and Tristen Newton are also right behind Sanogo and Hawkins in production and have helped the Huskies get to the record they’re at right now. As a team, UConn’s been very good on defense and on offense has been great passing the ball too.

On the other side, Creighton had a lot of potential heading into this season, but has stumbled a lot recently when they lost six in a row. They also recently won three in a row. The best player on Creighton and difference maker for them to potentially make a run this season is Ryan Kalkbrenner. He’s been injured, but has come back and helped Creighton a ton recently. He’s leading the team in scoring and blocks this season. Baylor Scheierman has been a great addition and leads the team in rebounds and steals and is up there in scoring too. Trey Alexander and Arthur Kaluma have also been great for the Blue Jays too and are up there in scoring also. As a team, the Blue Jays are very good on offense, and need to get better on defense, and the return of Kalkbrenner has helped. UConn should rebound and cover this spread and the biggest reason why they should is because they are the home team in this game. The game being in UConn is the difference, but expect a close game for most of it until the Huskies pull away.

Creighton vs. UConn Key Matchups

Can Ryan Kalkbrenner matchup with Adama Sanogo? Can Trey Alexander matchup with Jordan Hawkins?

Adama Sanogo vs Ryan Kalkbrenner

Adama Sanogo has been a beast down low for the Huskies for his size. He averages 17 points, 1 assist, and 7 rebounds for the season. He’s been the most reliable player for the Huskies too. His matchup on Creighton is Ryan Kalbrenner. He averages 15 points, 1 assist, and 7 rebounds for the season. He’s a huge piece for the Blue Jays and is showing why. These two won’t be matched up the whole game because of the size difference, but expect this a few times and it will be a big matchup when it happens.

Jordan Hawkins vs Trey Alexander

Jordan Hawkins has been a great piece on the wing for the Huskies. He averages 15 points, 2 assists, and 4 rebounds for the season. He’s been a great player for the Huskies in crucial spots. Trey Alexander is his matchup and he averages 13 points, 2 assists, and 4 rebounds for the season. These two are crucial pieces for each team in their backcourts. Expect this matchup to have a big impact on who wins this game outright.