How to bet on the Big East tournament championship on Saturday (March 13)

Georgetown vs Creighton odds

The 2021 Big East Tournament Championship features the pre-tournament favorite against an unlikely but familiar opponent.

Creighton entered the tournament as an overall favorite after injuries severely hampered regular season champion Villanova. The Bluejays won a fierce 59-56 victory over a scorching Connecticut team in the semifinals.

Georgetown entered the Big East tournament with the third worst odds at +8000. But guided by their legendary head coach, Patrick Ewing, the Hoyas got rid of Marquette, Villanova and Seton Hall for three consecutive nights to reach the championship game at Madison Square Garden.

In his seven seasons as a member of the Big East, Creighton reached the championship game twice, but failed to win the title twice.

Georgetown is chasing a record-breaking eighth conference tournament title, and its first title since 2007.

Who should return in a fantastic Big East final that guarantees a historic victory?

Georgetown | (12-12, 7-9 Big East)

Georgetown has faced several COVID breaks and is playing its best basketball of the season. The Hoyas have won three Big East Tournament games in three nights, including a 72-71 victory over seeded Villanova. The Hoyas played a fantastic defense, holding two of those three opponents 58 points or less.

Georgetown shared the season with Creighton, scoring an impressive 86-79 road victory on February 3. The biggest difference from this game has been the development of forward Chudier Bile (9.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG). The 6-foot-7 senior has finished the regular season with 15 or more points in five of the Hoyas’ last six games.

Bile has nine points, six rebounds, two blocks and made huge plays on both ends of the floor to secure the 66-58 victory over Seton Hall in the semifinals. He gives the Hoyas another option with guard Jahvon Blair (16 PPG), forward Jamorko Pickett (12.4 PPG) and center Qudus Wahab (12.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG).

Georgetown are a fantastic free throw team, ranking second in the conference game at 78.1%. The Hoyas shot a stunning 18 of 24 (75%) from the line in their victory at Creighton.

Ewing has grown his roster to become one of the best rebounding teams in the country. The Hoyas rank 53rd in the country in offensive rebound, and were second best in the Big East game.

The staple of their inner presence is Wahab. The 6-foot-11 second-year forward saw a 10-game streak with seven or more rebounds end against Villanova in the quarterfinals. Wahab struggled through trouble throughout the game and was eliminated for the first time since December 20.

His offensive success will be critical to Georgetown’s chances of victory. In their first game, he tallied 12 points and eight rebounds, as he scored just six points in the Hoyas’ 63-48 loss at home.

The critical defensive goal for the Hoyas will be to limit Creighton beyond the arc. The Bluejays generate 38.3% of 3Ps in conference, the highest percentage of any team in the Big East.

Surprisingly, Georgetown actually allowed a worse percentage from the deepest loss. Creighton shot just 6 of 25 (24%) from beyond the arc in their road win and 10 of 25 (38.5%) in their home loss.

Creighton | (20-7, 14-6 Big East)

The Bluejays have big guard game, led by Marcus Zegarowski (15.4 PPG, 4.4 APG, 39.5% 3P) and senior guard Denzel Mahoney (13.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 34% 3P). They are one of the few teams with the offensive effectiveness to match anyone in the country, ranking first in conference play in effective field goal percentage (56.4%) and in two point efficiency (56.9%).

The Bluejays rarely return the ball and are much improved in defense. Creighton is second in the Big East in adjusted defensive efficiency and first in effective field goal percentage.

The Bluejays were greatly improved in their second game against Georgetown, holding the Hoyas to just 25.9% (7 of 27) from 2P and 29% (9 of 31) from 3P.

Their critical weakness is at the free throw line, where they averaged a worst 63.4% in the Big East in the conference game.

Head coach Greg McDermott will need his team to limit the Hoyas’ second chance points. The Bluejays are struggling on the boards and not extending their defense to force turnovers. Creighton ranks only 237th in defensive turnover, per KenPom, which is great news for a Georgetown team that is 311th in offensive turnover. The Hoyas were the second worst team to protect the ball in conference.

While 3P snipers such as Zegarowski (40.4%), Mahoney (34.5%), Damien Jefferson (39.2%) and Mitch Ballock (40.2%) should all see opportunities, they will have to find a way to negate the Hoyas’ size advantage. . The spotlight is certainly on 7-foot rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner (6.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG), who has only managed two points overall in previous encounters against the Hoyas. Kalkbrenner only played 18 minutes in total and struggled hard against the Georgetown athletic frontline.

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Bet analysis and selection

Georgetown provides the perfect counterweight to the efficiency of the Creighton perimeter. The Hoyas are expected to continue to find success on the inside, and have already beaten the Bluejays as an underdog by 14 points in Omaha.

The Hoyas are playing their fourth game in four nights, but the “tired legs” tale is often overdone. Playing for a Big East Championship will provide all the momentum the Hoyas will need to fight for the Big East Championship.

The Bluejays have played 11 games away from Omaha and have only won by nine points or more in two of those games. They also showed a propensity to blow big leads in the second half on the road, as against Butler (14 points) and Providence (13 points).

That’s just too many points for a Georgetown team that has a superb balance with Blair and the Hoyas’ big crowd.

I support the Hoyas with the 8.5 points, and I would advise you to wait closer to the tip-off to place your bet. According to the Action Network app, 56% of bets are on Creighton at time of publication, making Georgetown +9 a reasonable possibility.

Picks: Georgetown +8.5