🏀 Rutgers vs. Creighton Prediction & Picks: College Basketball Crown Quarterfinals (April 2)
Creighton is making its 10th consecutive postseason appearance and faces a Rutgers team playing in its first postseason game since 2023 when the two meet in the College Basketball Crown quarterfinal on Thursday. Tipoff from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas is set for 10:30 p.m. ET, airing on FS1. The Bluejays are anywhere from 3.5 to 4.5-point betting favorites.
My Rutgers vs. Creighton prediction backs the Bluejays to win and cover while playing inspired after head coach Greg McDermott announced he will retire at the end of the season.
๐ Rutgers vs. Creighton picks & odds: College Basketball Crown Quarterfinals
See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds; picks rated on a 1-to-5 star confidence scale based on betting value.
| Pick | Best odds | Units | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATS/ML pick | Creighton -3.5 (-110 via FanDuel) | 1u -> 0.91u | โญโญโญโญ |
| O/U pick | Over 151.5 (-108 via DraftKings) | 1u -> 0.93u | โญโญโญ |
| Team prop pick | Creighton team total Over 78.5 (-105 via DraftKings) | 1u -> 0.95u | โญโญโญ |
Total wagered: 3.0 units | Max profit: 2.79 units
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๐ Who will win Rutgers vs. Creighton?
Creighton had a disappointing season after being picked to finish third in the Big East preseason poll. But it has also won 14 of its last 16 postseason openers, and is one of two teams since 2011-12 to win at least 19 of 26 non-conference games against the Big Ten. I expect Greg McDermott, arguably the best coach in Creighton history, to retire on better terms than a CBC quarterfinal loss to Rutgers.
Score prediction: Creighton 81, Rutgers 75
๐ฐ Rutgers vs. Creighton prediction & best bet
Creighton -3.5 (-110)
Creighton is one of 11 schools with an active postseason streak of 10-plus years. Much of its disappointing season can be pinned on injuries, as Third-Team All-Big East pick Jackson McAndrew missed all but four games this season. In all, the Blue Jays are without four players 6-foot-10 or taller they counted on for meaningful minutes.
While Rutgers ranks in the top-50 nationally in bench points, that advantage would matter more in a condensed tournament format. With three weeks to prepare, I give the edge to McDermott, who guided the Bluejays to 365 wins (26th-most) in his tenure since 2010-11.
๐ฅ Best Rutgers vs. Creighton team prop bet
Creighton team total Over 78.5 (-105)
You know Creighton is going to jack up 3-pointers at a high rate, as it has made five-plus threes in 103 consecutive games. Though it has been without most of its tallest players for the season, it shouldnโt lose the shot volume battle by much against a Rutgers team that is minus-3.4 on average per game on the glass.
Josh Dix is one of four Bluejays averaging in double figures, and he is very familiar with Steve Pikiellโs Scarlet Knights defense, as he dropped 26 on them in a road game while playing for Iowa last year.
Rutgers' defense ranked 15th out of 18 teams in Big Ten play in defending the 3-point line. But they should also be carved up in pick-and-roll action after grading out in the seventh percentile in PNR defensive efficiency rating.
๐ Rutgers vs. Creighton same-game parlay
Seeing as DraftKings is the only top sports betting site to offer team props of any sort as of this writing, I am sacrificing some value on the point spread, as its the only sportsbook at Creighton higher than -4. Because of that, I am limiting this same-game parlay wager to 0.25 units, even though all three legs pair nicely with one another.
💵 Rutgers vs. Creighton SGP picks
- Creighton -4.5 (-110)
- Over 151.5 (-108)
- Creighton team total Over 78.5 (-105)
Best odds: +618 via DraftKings (0.25u -> 1.55u)
๐ต My betting record for college basketball
All college basketball picks, including SGPs, have been tracked since March 13.
| Bet type | Record | Net profit | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 75-69 | +15.32 units โ | +10.9% โ |
| Game picks | 48-43 | +13.02 units โ | +84.4% โ |
| Player props | 27-26 | +2.31 units โ | +4.4% โ |
๐ก How I'm betting Rutgers vs. Creighton: College Basketball Crown strategy
Follow all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions for March Madness.
Rutgers played 20 games against top-100 competition, and won just three times. Thus, I wouldn't put anyone off making a bigger two or three-unit play on Creighton's moneyline odds, which are as short as -162 (carrying a 61.83% implied probability) at FanDuel.
The Over is also a one-unit play even though it comes with three stars of confidence. Creighton's drop coverage defensively allows a fifth percentile rim rate, but Rutgers' offense has lived in the mid-range most of the season anyway.
๐ Live Rutgers vs. Creighton odds: College Basketball Crown Quarterfinals
All of the top sports betting sites have ticked up from their opening spreads despite rumors that Austin Swartz may not be with Creighton in Las Vegas. The Bluejays opened at -2.5 at both DraftKings and FanDuel, but the former steamed up a point higher to -4.5 while FanDuel's line topped out at -3.5.
DraftKings opened its total at 148.5, two points lower than the rest of the market. It wasn't a surprise that the line was quickly bet up to 150.5, and now the market is aligned at 151.5 as of this writing.
๐ Rutgers vs. Creighton betting trends
| Rutgers | Statistic | Creighton |
|---|---|---|
| 14-19 | Record | 15-17 |
| 17-16 | ATS record | 10-22 |
| 19-14 | O/U record | 15-17 |
| 122nd | KenPom ranking | 74th |
| 110.8 (142nd) | Adj. offensive rating (rank) | 116.4 (73rd) |
| 106.6 (118th) | Adj. defensive rating (rank) | 105.2 (93rd) |
๐บ How to watch Rutgers vs. Creighton: College Basketball Crown Quarterfinals
- Date: Thursday, April 2
- Tipoff: 10:30 p.m. ET
- Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas)
- TV: FS1
- Streaming: Fubo
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