Princeton vs. Creighton Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 3-24-2023
Princeton vs. Creighton Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 3-24-2023 The 15th-seeded Princeton Tigers will face the No. 6 seed Creighton Bluejays in a Sweet 16 matchup at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday in Louisville, KY. The winner will face either fifth or top-ranked Alabama in the Elite Eight. Princeton advanced out of the second round with a 78-63 win over Missouri last week, while Creighton upset Arizona and seventh-seeding Missouri in the South region last week to reach the round of 16 for the first time since 1967. Ryan Nembhard poured in a career-high 30 points to lead Creighton to its second Sweet 16 in the last three years, and the game will be televised on TBS. Princeton has won six games in a row and is ranked No. 91 by KenPom.
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The 15th-seeded Princeton Tigers will face the No. 6 seed Creighton Bluejays in a Sweet 16 matchup at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday inside the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY. Creighton is a 10-point favorite, with the over/under total set at 140.5. Creighton won the only other meeting between these programs, which came back in 1961. Friday’s game will be televised on TBS. The winner will advance to face either fifth-seeded San Diego State or top-ranked Alabama in the Elite Eight.
Princeton upset second-seeded Arizona and seventh-seeded Missouri in the South region last week to reach the round of 16 for the first time since 1967. Princeton was in control most of the game on Sunday against Missouri, led by 22 points from Ryan Langborg. Blake Peters added 17 points, including five 3-point field goals in the second half, as Princeton advanced out of the second round with a 78-63 win. Princeton upset second-seeded Arizona and seventh-seeded Missouri in the South region last week to reach the round of 16 for the first time since 1967. Princeton was in control most of the game on Sunday against Missouri, led by 22 points from Ryan Langborg. Blake Peters added 17 points, including five 3-point field goals in the second half, as Princeton advanced out of the second round with a 78-63 win. Really appreciate @PrincetonMBB head coach, Mitch Henderson joining SVP on the show. pic.twitter.com/mOei2upWua — Stanford Steve (@StanfordSteve82) March 22, 2023 After the game, Princeton forward Tosan Evbuomwan told The Associated Press, "The world looks at us as two upsets, but I feel like we're supposed to be here. We have a lot of confidence in one another, what we're doing. There's definitely no letup with this group." Princeton was confident from the start on Sunday as they jumped out to a 33-19 lead in the first half and took a seven point lead into the break. Peters helped Princeton pull away in the second half with his hot 3-point shooting. Peters finished 5-of-8 from downtown, and Princeton made 12 treys altogether. Princeton's triumph marks the third straight year that a No. 15 seed has advanced to the Sweet 16. It is the first Sweet 16 appearance for an Ivy League school since Cornell in 2010. The Tigers have now won six games in a row, which included a 74-65 win over Yale in the Ivy League Tournament championship. Evbuomwan was named the Ivy League Player of the Year. He averages 14.8 points and 4.8 assists per game to lead Princeton. He also grabs 6.3 rebounds per game, which is second on the team. Through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Evbuomwan is averaging 12 points, eight rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Langborg is averaging 15 points. Princeton ranks second in the Ivy League in scoring margin at +7.6 points per game. They average 75.5 points per game and allow 67.9. The Tigers shoot 45.5% overall and make 8.5 threes per game, which was second in their league. On the glass, Princeton has a margin of +6.6 rebounds per game, which was tops in the Ivy League. Caden Pierce is their leading rebounder with 7.4 boards per game. The Tigers are not battling any injuries at this time. Princeton is ranked No. 91 by KenPom.
Two days after topping third-seeded North Carolina State, Creighton knocked off third-seeded Baylor on Sunday, 85-76, to advance to its second Sweet 16 in the last three years. Ryan Nembhard poured in a career-high 30 points to lead the Bluejays. Two days after topping third-seeded North Carolina State, Creighton knocked off third-seeded Baylor on Sunday, 85-76, to advance to its second Sweet 16 in the last three years. Ryan Nembhard poured in a career-high 30 points to lead the Bluejays. "The rim felt a little bit bigger tonight," said Nembhard after the game, per The Associated Press. "Luckily, I made some shots." Nembhard finished 8-of-13 from the field and a perfect 10-of-10 from the foul line. In fact, Creighton was perfect on free throws as a team, converting 22-of-22 attempts. Trey Alexander added 17 points and eight rebounds in the win. Despite the eye-popping offensive numbers, Creighton's most impressive performance may have been defensively against Keyonte George. The Bluejays held the Big 12 Freshman of the Year to just seven points, nearly nine points below his season average. The Bluejays have rebounded nicely since No. 15 Xavier thumped them 82-60 in the Big East championship two weeks ago. A 31-point performance from center Ryan Kalkbrenner helped get the Bluejays back on track with a 72-63 win over NC State last Friday. Kalkbrenner leads Creighton with 15.7 points per game, and is tops in the Big East with 2.2 blocked shots per game. Baylor Scheierman is third in the conference with 8.2 rebounds per game. As a team, the Bluejays allow just 68.5 points per game, which has helped them enjoy the third-best scoring margin in the Big East at +8.2 points per game. Offensively, Creighton averages 76.7 points per game, thanks in part to 46.7% shooting from the field and 8.8 threes per game. The Bluejays are fifth in the Big East with 37 rebounds per game. That is good for a rebounding margin of +3.6 per game. Forward Mason Miller is the only recent injury concern for Creighton. Miller is listed as questionable with a leg injury. He averages 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, and played seven minutes in the first round game against NC State. Creighton is ranked No. 12 by KenPom.
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I like Princeton to cover this spread. If you think Cinderella runs always have to crumble in the Sweet 16, just think back to last year when Saint Peter's advanced to the Elite 8 as a No. 15 seed. I don't think Princeton will advance, but I think the Tigers are going to give the Bluejays all they can handle until the final buzzer. On paper, I like how Princeton matches up because they are such a balanced, efficient team on both ends of the court, and they may actually have the rebounding advantage in this game. Princeton has the shooters to keep up with Creighton, and the defense to hold them in check. The Tigers rank first in the Ivy League and 76th nationally in 3-point defense, which will be key to containing Creighton's barrage from the outside. Ultimately, Yale is the only team to beat Princeton by double-digits this season, so I like getting 10 points here, especially against a Creighton team that has been streaky all year. Princeton has covered the spread in its last six games and is playing with a ton of confidence right now. It's hard to overlook how they outlasted national-powerhouse Arizona and completely controlled the game against Missouri. Bet for the first time with BetMGM! Get up to $1,000 back in Bonus Bets if you don't win. What are you waiting for? Passing this up would be Madness! *Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, DC, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in Nevada, New York or Ontario. Click here to get started! Want a second opinion on this pick? After watching Princeton's defense hold high-powered Arizona and Missouri to just 55 and 63 points, there is no chance I'm backing the over in this game. Arizona ranks seventh in the nation with 81.9 points per game, while Missouri isn't far behind with a scoring average of 78.9 points per game, but Princeton has been in complete control defensively in this tournament. The under has hit in both of Princeton's games so far, and four of their last six overall. The Tigers boast a top-100 adjusted defense according to KenPom, while Creighton's adjusted defense ranks No. 13. If either of these teams played at a faster pace, I may have given the over more consideration since both teams can bury 3s, but neither Princeton nor Creighton ranks inside the top-140 in terms of KenPom's adjusted tempo.
Topics: Academia