Back Big East home underdogs for Saturday's CBB slate
Buckle up for another electric college basketball Saturday. There have been upsets galore across the sport over the last couple of weeks, which is somewhat expected with the chaos of college basketball.
This weekend could feature another upset-filled slate, with many of the ranked teams scheduled to play. Let's get to our five best bets for Saturday.
Creighton @ Seton Hall (+2, O/U 138)
It's not fun betting on road favorites, especially with how successful home underdogs have been this season. However, Creighton has proved it can win on the road. The Bluejays are 4-0 as away favorites.
This is also a good bounce-back spot for Creighton after it took a beatdown from UConn in a game where the Bluejays scored an uncharacteristic 48 points.
Creighton's still a worthy challenger in the Big East. Seton Hall is having a surprisingly successful year in Shaheen Holloway's second season. It's won five straight and is in second place in the Big East.
The metrics still favor Creighton. The Bluejays are ranked 38 spots ahead of Seton Hall on KenPom. Creighton should end the Pirates' winning streak on Saturday.
Pick: Creighton -2
Purdue @ Iowa (+8.5, O/U 169.5)
Most Big Ten battles feature struggling offenses that lock down on the defensive end and finish their games scoring between 60-to-70 points. But not these two teams.
Purdue and Iowa have the top two scoring offenses in the Big Ten, averaging 85 points and 87 points, respectively. They also both rank in the bottom half of the conference in scoring defense. Iowa allows 77.5 points per game, the second-most in the conference.
The game total has gone over in 76% of Iowa's games and 72% of Purdue's. The total is astronomically high, but each team plays at a fast pace and shouldn't have a problem scoring frequently against lackluster defense.
Pick: Over 169.5
UConn @ Villanova (+1.5, 138.5)
If you're confused by this line, that tells you all you need to know. UConn has the more talented roster and showed it's the team to beat in the Big East after walloping Creighton earlier this week. The Huskies have also won six straight, while Villanova is coming off a loss at Marquette. So why is UConn only a 1.5-point favorite?
It's hard to win on the road, and Villanova has the talent and depth to compete with any Big East team, especially when Justin Moore is healthy. Villanova is firmly in the tournament but desperately needs a season-defining regular-season conference win to bolster its resume. It'll come this Saturday when Villanova knocks off the top team in the country.
Pick: Villanova +1.5
Marquette @ St. John's (+1, O/U 154.5)
Let's ride with another Big East home underdog in a bounce-back spot. Marquette has had an up-and-down run in conference play. It's often plagued by dull offensive stretches where it struggles to score. That's led to a 3-3 Big East record.
The Golden Eagles are especially bad away from home. They're 0-3 as road favorites. St. John's has lost two straight on the road, but Rick Pitino didn't coach in its last game due to COVID-19. Pitino is expected to return to the sidelines Saturday, giving St. John's a much-needed boost as it looks to end its skid. It's hard to trust Marquette's offense on the road against a hungry St. John's defense.
Pick: St. Johns +1
Kansas @ West Virginia (+10, O/U 146.5)
Last Saturday, West Virginia won an impressive contest over a discombobulated Texas squad. That could be West Virginia's lone conference win this season.
The Mountaineers are having a disastrous season. They're 6-11 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12. They're also 6-11 against the spread.
In West Virginia's three conference losses, it lost by an average margin of 20.6 points. West Virginia will welcome the league's best team in Kansas on Saturday. The Jayhawks have mismatches all over the court to exploit, particularly in the front court. Expect a blowout in Morgantown.
Pick: Kansas -10
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.