For some of the reasons about to be explained, #11 Creighton (21-4, 11-2) owns #9 Villanova (23-3, 11-2). They don't have an extremely talented team besides consensus Wooden Award winner Doug McDermott (25.9 ppg, 50-40-90 shooting marks), but their unique spread offense and three-point shooting abilities are straight poison to Villanova's aggressive man-to-man defense (with an emphasis on switching and helping). Most effective is their pick-and-roll game, which at the least leads to a decent three-point attempt (which Creighton hits an absurd 42 percent of the time as a team).

They haven't been quite as good against the rest of the country because as well coached as they are and as good as McDermott is, there are simply bigger and more athletic college athletes out there. That's what happened when they faced a rolling St. John's team (18-9, 8-6, tournament bound if it started today) last week and lost 70-65. The Red Storm are annually about as athletic as it gets in the college game. They nearly beat the Blue Jays in their first meeting in Nebraska, losing by three.

Better in the conference than St. John's by percentage points is Marquette (15-10, 7-5), Creighton's host tonight at 8:00 pm EST on Fox Sports 1. The traditionally good Golden Eagles have been playing like their old selves lately with five wins over their last seven games, including each of the last three. Besides an odd 52-35 loss to Ohio State in the beginning of the year, they've been stout at home, best exemplified by close losses to #6 San Diego State (22-2, 12-1; back when Marquette was ranked #25) and Villanova (in overtime).

Vegas hasn't underestimated the power of Marquette's home court -- even if the Eagles lost by nearly 18 points last meeting - and has given their backers just three points with which to play. Even after dissing the Blue Jays' athleticism, they're still an excellent team and have just enough fast twitch fibers to play with anyone in the country because of their superiorities elsewhere. I think they keep the good times coming and win by 10-12 tonight. Creighton with the cover.

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Record: 17-24

Butler @ Creighton: L (picked Butler, +10.5)

UConn @ Memphis: L (picked Memphis, -7.5)

Depaul @ Villanova: W (picked Villanova, -17.5)

Pittsburg @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -5.5)

Creighton @ Villanova: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Baylor @ Kansas: W (picked Baylor, + 10.5)

Indiana @ Michigan State: L (picked Michigan State, -12)

Iowa @ Michigan: L (picked Iowa, + 1.5)

Colorado @ Arizona: W (picked Colorado, + 14.5)

Illinois @ Ohio State: W (picked Illinois, + 11)

Michigan @ Michigan State: W (picked Michigan, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Marquette: W (picked Villanova, -3)

Utah @ Arizona: W (picked Utah, + 15)

Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State: W (picked Oklahoma, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Georgetown: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Michigan State @ Iowa: W (picked Michigan State, + 5)

St. John's @ Creighton: W (picked St. John's, + 12)

Iowa State @ Kansas: L (picked Iowa State, + 8.5)

Syracuse @ Wake Forest: L (picked Syracuse, -10)

Purdue @ Michigan: L (picked Michigan, -12)

Florida @ Mississippi State: W (picked Miss. State, + 15)

Duke @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -3)

Xavier @ Villanova: L (picked Xavier, + 10)

Nebraska @ Michigan: L (picked Nebraska, + 13)

Boston College @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -13)

Oregon @ Arizona: L (picked Arizona, -11)

Oklahamo State @ Texas Tech: W (picked Texas Tech, + 6.5)

West Virginia @ Kansas: L (picked WVU, + 14)

Maryland @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -11)

Iowa State @ West Virginia: L (picked Iowa State, - 1.5)

Michigan @ Ohio State: L (picked Ohio State, -3.5)

Florida @ Tennessee: W (picked Florida, - 1.5)

Syracuse @ Pittsburg: W (picked Syracuse, + 2.5 -- absurd line)

Villanova @ Depaul: W (picked Villanova, -14)

Creighton @ Butler: L (picked Creighton, -8.5)

West Virginia @ Texas: W (picked Texas, -6)

Florida @ Kentucky: L (picked Kentucy, -2)

VCU @ Saint Louis: W (picked VCU, +4.5)

Villanova @ Creighton: L (picked Villanova, -3.5)

Texas @ Iowa State: L (picked Texas, +6)

Villanova @ Providence: L (picked Villanova, -4.5)