College basketball picks: Creighton-Butler prediction, odds, spread for January 17

The college basketball slate on Tuesday will feature a Big East matchup between the Creighton Bluejays and Butler Bulldogs. Tip-off from Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will air on FS1.

Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

Creighton vs. Butler odds

Spread: Creighton -7
Over/Under: 140.5
Moneyline: Creighton -280, Butler +235

Creighton (10-8, 4-3 Big East) had a brutal stretch in the last week, taking on No. 4 UConn, No. 12 Xavier, and No. 19 Providence. After back-to-back close losses to start the week, they picked up the 73-67 upset victory at home against Providence. Center Ryan Kalkbrenner was his usual dominant self as he came away with a team-high 21 points and seven rebounds.

Butler (11-8, 3-5 Big East) also found themselves going 1-2 last week. The Bulldogs lost to Seton Hall and St. John's but are coming off an eight-point win against Villanova in their last game. Guard Simas Lukosius went off for 28 points, three assists, three steals and two rebounds doing a little bit of everything for Butler in the victory.

The Pick: Creighton -7

Yes, Butler is coming off an important win and a great performance from Lukosius. The Bluejays are finally getting back to looking like the team that started the season out 6-0 with two wins over ranked teams. Kalkbrenner is a problem down low, and teams are having a tough time slowing him down. While the Bulldogs have good guard play, I don't know that they have an answer for Kalkbrenner. Even if they do, Creighton has Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander waiting on the wings, helping them cover.

  
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