Providence vs. Creighton Prediction and Odds: A Tale of Two Low-Tempo Teams

**UPDATE**

Tonight's Creighton-Providence matchup has been postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak within Providence, via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

The Creighton Bluejays are on the hunt for a bounce-back game after getting rocked by Villanova in their last game 75-41. It was a brutal loss for a Creighton team that was overachieving through the first 13 games of the season. They have returned zero starters and were expecting finish near the bottom of the Big East. The game against Villanova was the first time that they looked like a team with a lot of holes in their game. It should be noted that Creighton beat Villanova last month by a score of 79-59. So, Nova was in full revenge mode here. 

Tonight, Creighton will host the No. 23 Providence Friars as they try to shake off their recent blowout loss. The Friars are coming off a win over St. John’s over the weekend bringing Providence's record to 9-7. 

Here are the odds for this Big East matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Providence vs. Creighton Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

• Providence +4.5 (-110)
• Creighton -4.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Providence +170
• Creighton -200

Total: 133.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Providence vs. Creighton Prediction and Pick

While this game should be a nail-biter, it won't be a particularly exciting viewing experience for many due to the slow pace that each team plays. In fact, this will likely be the slowest-paced game of the night and probably the next few nights to come. Both teams rank outside of the top 175 in terms of scoring offense and three-point shooting percentage.

Creighton did themselves no favors against Villanova and shot just 35.6 percent from the field and 28 percent in the second half. They only had one player, Alex O’Connell, score in double figures with 13 points. The team went 3-for-24 from deep and remains one of the worst teams in the nation from downtown with a 30.1 shooting percentage. 

One area that these two teams are vastly different is the foul department. Creighton is fifth in the nation in picking up offensive fouls due to their strategy of scoring in the paint. However, they give up 15.7 fouls per game. The Friars will have to be careful that they don't fall into this trap and get into foul trouble early on. 

I don’t think this is a good spot for Creighton to bounce back nor do I have much faith in the Friars right now, despite a nice win their last time out. Based on what I have seen, this will be a slow game and could be one of the lower-scoring matchups of the night. Both teams are poor shooting teams and struggle from deep and I don't see that changing before tip-off tonight.

Pick: Providence & Creighton UNDER 133.5 (-110)