The No. 12 Georgetown Hoyas have a 2-1 spread record in their last three contests away from home, notching 67.3 PPG in that stretch. John Thompson’s squad heads west for Tuesday’s matchup against the DePaul Blue Demons, who return to Allstate Arena after going 0-3 ATS in three straight road losses.
Sportsbooks opened Georgetown as an eight-point favorite, while
first setting the ‘total’ at 146½. NCAA basketball odds makers offered a money-line price
of plus 310 for DePaul, who is 1-4 SU in its five games of Big East Conference
play.
Hoyas pull away at MSG
The Georgetown Hoyas ended a two-game losing streak with Sunday’s 69-49
triumph as a seven-point road favorite against the St. John’s Red Storm. The Hoyas held St. John’s to 31.5 percent field shooting, including a 0-for-10
day from three-point land.
Hoyas forward Hollis Thompson put up a team-high 20 points, while
adding four of his squad’s eight steals. Thompson’s mate Otto Porter
logged his second double-double in six games, finishing with 13 points and 10
rebounds.
The lopsided affair’s combined 118 points dipped below the ‘total’
of 130 ½, ending a 3-0 ‘over’ streak from the Hoyas’ prior three games. Georgetown edged out St. John’s in boards, 41-29, while both squads united to
sink 27-of-40 free throws.
Demons lit up in Derby City
DePaul’s latest defeat came in Saturday’s 76-59 setback as a 15
½-point road dog against the Louisville Cardinals. The Blue Demons
allowed Louisville to hit 50.9 percent of its field buckets, despite holding
Cardinals guard Russ Smith to 0-for-7 beyond the arc.
Blue Demons mates Brandon Young and Krys Faber logged team-highs
of 14 points and eight rebounds, respectively. DePaul’s bench was led by
freshman Worrel Clahar, who drained 3-of-3 from downtown for nine points en
route to finishing with three assists and two steals.
The contest’s combined 135 points plunged below the ‘total’ of
148, finishing a 4-0 run for the ‘over’ in the Blue Demons’ previous four
contests. DePaul’s visits to the foul line were sparse, hitting 3-of-5 free
throws, while Blue Demons forward Cleveland Melvin logged two of his squad’s
four blocks.
Back the ‘over’ in Chi-town
Tuesday’s tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. (ET), with ESPN2 providing
the national television coverage.
I am placing my NCAA basketball pick in favor of the ‘over,’ looking for some déjà vu
of last January’s high-octane affair between these foes. Georgetown
notched an 86-75 win, with the combined 161 points soaring above the ‘total’ of
143 ½.
DePaul’s home-court edge has not shut down visiting foes, allowing
84 PPG in the team’s pair of conference duels on its floor against the
Pittsburgh Panthers and Syracuse Orange. Both battles cashed ‘over’
tickets, including the Orange piling in 58.6 percent of their field buckets.
Melvin has notched 18 PPG for DePaul, ranking the sophomore third
in the Big East for scoring. Georgetown also brings its share of fire
power, with Thompson draining a conference-leading 52.8 percent beyond the arc
and mate Jason Clark hitting 48.6 percent from the field.
The Hoyas smothering St. John’s over the weekend should not last
for its defense, with the ‘over’ going 5-2 in Georgetown’s last seven spots
that followed an outing of giving up less than 50 points. DePaul will
need its share of runs to keep the matchup close, with the team’s home rims
bringing a sizable 79.2 PPG on the board.
The ‘total’ for this duel has been set lower than four of DePaul’s last five
games, setting up some value for the ‘over’ in this spot. Look for ‘over’
tickets to cash even before any late fouling here, while Melvin attempts to top
last year’s season-high day of 29 points put up on the Hoyas.
My Pick: Take the Over