The West Virginia Mountaineers play the Creighton Bluejays in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the semifinals of the College Basketball Crown on Saturday, April 4. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET on FOX.
West Virginia is favored by -1.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -120. The total is set at 133.5 points.
Here’s my West Virginia vs. Creighton prediction and college basketball picks for Saturday, April 4.
West Virginia Mountaineers vs Creighton Bluejays Prediction, Picks
My Pick: West Virginia ML -120
My West Virginia vs Creighton is on the Mountaineers to win outright. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
West Virginia vs Creighton Odds, Spread, Line
| West Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1 -110 | 136.5 -110o / -110u | -115 |
| Creighton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1 -110 | 136.5 -110o / -110u | -105 |
- West Virginia vs Creighton Spread: West Virginia -1, Creighton +1
- West Virginia vs Creighton Over/Under: 136.5
- West Virginia vs Creighton Moneyline: West Virginia ML -115, Creighton ML -105
West Virginia vs Creighton NCAAB Preview
West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Preview
The Mountaineers head into this contest with a 19-14 overall record on the season, having just taken down Stanford in overtime on Thursday.
Upon making the NCAA Tournament in 11 of the 16 seasons in the Bob Huggins era, West Virginia has struggled to find its footing without him, having missed the Big Dance in three consecutive seasons following his departure.
Leading the charge for a Mountaineers offense that largely struggled over the course of the season is their floor general and senior-leader Honor Huff.
While Huff has been exceptional in his final collegiate season, posting an impressive 17 points per contest, West Virginia’s offense, as a whole, has scored less than 70 points per game on average.
The Mountaineers are dreadful on the offensive end of the floor, barely ranking inside the top 150 nationally in offensive efficiency rating, per KenPom.
Huggins surely had several teams with far more scoring prowess throughout his coaching tenure, but the program’s overall reliance on its incredible defensive efforts has remained the same for over a decade.
The Mountaineers boast a top-20 defense in the nation, ranking 17th nationally in defensive efficiency rating, while allowing their opponents just over 65 points of offense.
Given how many elite offenses there are in the Big 12, West Virginia’s impact on the defensive end of the floor has been unbelievable. Ross Hodges’ defensive unit ranks sixth in the country in points allowed.
West Virginia’s game plan for this semifinal showdown will undoubtedly be to slow down the pace of play drastically, not wanting to run with a Creighton team that's far more talented on the offensive end of the floor.
Creighton Bluejays Betting Preview
In Creighton head coach Greg McDermott’s 16th and final season at the helm, the Bluejays finished the season with a sub .500 record, breaking a streak of five consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament.
The McDermott era has been very impressive, with its head coach having led Creighton to 10 appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Though Creighton heads into Saturday afternoon’s semifinal matchup as an underdog, the Jays have far more talent on the offensive end of the floor. However, they'l certainly be tested against a stout Mountaineers defensive unit.
The Jays’ offense is averaging upwards of 75 points per game this season and will definitely be looking to establish the game’s tempo at a far quicker pace than West Virginia is comfortable with.
If McDermott's squad is unable to maintain its pace and transition offense, Creighton will find itself in a low-scoring affair, which will most definitely favor the Mountaineers.
The Jays have an elite starting five with all but one player posting double-figure scoring efforts. Josh Dix leads Creighton in scoring this season with over 13 points per contest.
Nik Graves rounds out a very experienced Creighton backcourt, with the former Charlotte guard scoring over 11 points per game on average.
While Creighton’s offense is scoring over 75 points per game, it ranks just 73rd nationally in offensive efficiency rating, per KenPom, largely due to a significant turnover problem (more than 11 per game).
The Jays’ defensive efficiency rating is rather close to their offensive efficiency, as Creighton’s defense ranks 86th nationally in that metric.
If Creighton is able to establish an up-tempo pace while protecting the basketball, it has a clear path to winning this game and advancing to the final.
West Virginia vs Creighton College Basketball Crown Pick
We're in for a very closely-contested semifinal matchup in the College Basketball Crown, as the Mountaineers currently sit as a 1.5-point favorite to prevail over Creighton.
I don't feel great about backing Creighton in this spot, given its significant inconsistent play at both ends of the floor. With West Virginia, you know what you're going to get — a super defensive effort in a close dogfight.
The Mountaineers did a tremendous job defensively against Stanford, with most of the Cardinal offensive production coming from one of the nation’s top scorers, Ebuka Okorie. Despite its rotation depth, Creighton lacks a player who can take over a game down the stretch.
I worry the Jays will have a difficult time playing at their preferred quicker pace, so I feel inclined to back the superior defense in this one, which is clearly West Virginia.
I'll be looking to back the Mountaineers on the moneyline.
My Pick: West Virginia ML -120
