Big East Tournament odds, predictions: Back Creighton to take down UConn, St. Johns

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There’s perhaps nothing more romantic in sports than the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Things get extra fun when St.John’s is percolating as a budding Final Four contender. Rick Pitino’s group is a +155 favorite to win the Big East title at DraftKings Sportsbook, followed by Creighton at +370. The top-seed Johnnies are the apple of everyone’s eye going into the tournament, as their strong defensive chops and rebounding prowess (sixth) are among the best in college hoops. They’re rightful favorites going into the tournament, boasting solid scoring around the rim, Pitino’s typical hard-nosed style of play and a strong No.

15 rating on KenPom. Where things get hairy for the Johnnies is their shooting.They can score around the rim, but their ceiling is capped by the 340th rated 3-point percentage (29.9 percent). The last team to be that bad at 3-point shooting and win the NCAA Tournament was Pitino’s Louisville squad in 2013 (since vacated), which shot 32.9 percent from deep.St.

John’s could easily come away victorious here, but its odds of doing so are a bit short considering a dangerous field that includes a solid Marquette squad, as well as Creighton, Villanova and Dan Hurley’s battle-tested and back-to-back defending national champion UConn team. Here are some Big East Tournament wagers to consider making: The Wildcats have a hard time closing out games they have led by double-digit margins. Their 18-13 record should really look a lot like 23-8, but alas, here we are, poking around a long-shot bet to win. With forward Eric Dixon leading the way at 23.6 points per game, the Wildcats play a style that can give St.John’s fits should the teams meet in the final.Villanova is ranked 20th in offensive efficiency and its defensive rating is slightly better than average (120). KenPom�...