The Big East season is about to kick into high gear. St. John’s and Villanova both won their conference openers on Tuesday. Preseason favorite UConn will face Xavier in one of three Big East games on Wednesday. This is a perfect time to see how the Big East odds have moved since the start of the season. UConn’s starting center Samson Johnson is in concussion protocol and he will miss the game as a result.
UConn will miss its ‘heart and soul’ with Samson Johnson unavailable for Big East opener vs. Xavier https://t.co/4HyThnHHTv
— Connecticut Post (@connpost) December 18, 2024
Seton Hall is the only Big East team to have a losing non-conference record. Big East teams are 81-36 in non-conference play this season.
No. 9 Marquette and No. 11 UConn are the only Big East teams in the top 25 in the latest Associated Press poll. St. John’s and Creighton are among the other teams receiving votes.
UConn Continues To Lead The Way In Big East Odds
The Big East Tournament is still a few months away, but why not look at the Big East odds and see which teams are rising and which ones are falling? UConn, Marquette and Villanova are a combined 5-1 against teams in the top 25 in The Associated Press poll. The rest of the conference has lost seven of its nine games against ranked teams. UConn remains on top in the Big East odds according to the Vegas Insider odds.
When looking at the Big East odds, St. John’s is the best team against the spread. The Red Storm have covered in eight of 11 games. Marquette is 7-3-1 against the spread. Villanova leads the way with eight games landing over the total.
UConn and Creighton, who were picked to finish first and second in the Big East preseason poll, are among six Big East teams in action on Wednesday.
UConn Remains The Team To Beat In The Big East
The UConn Huskies began the season priced at +150 to win the Big East title and those odds have moved to +120 as the Huskies prepare to face Xavier in its Big East opener. Keep in mind that the Huskies are tied for third at +1200 in the odds of winning the national championship.
After losing all three of its games in the Maui Invitational, the Huskies bounced back by beating Baylor, Texas and Gonzaga to move from No. 25 to No. 11 in The Associated Press poll in two weeks. The Huskies don’t play another ranked team until February.
Alex Karaban is the only returning starter for the Huskies. He leads UConn in scoring and blocked shots. Freshman Liam McNeeley came up big with 17 points against Baylor and 26 in the win over Gonzaga.
Marquette Near The Top In The Big East Odds
Even with a recent loss to Dayton, Marquette has made a move in the Big East odds. The Golden Eagles have gone from +800 to +220 in the odds of winning the Big East title.
Kam Jones has played his way into the national player of the year conversation. His scoring average has jumped from 17.2 points as a junior to 20.1 this season. Jones had 32 points in a win over Wisconsin as Marquette snapped a three-game losing streak to the Badgers.
Red Storm Impressive In Big East Opener
St. John’s is holding steady as the No. 3 favorite in the Big East odds. The Red Storm had +500 to win the conference title at the start of the season and now sit at +350 in the Big East championship odds. RJ Luis Jr. had 19 points off the bench as St. John’s rolled past DePaul 89-61 in its Big East opener on Tuesday.
– RJ Luis' 19 points off of the bench helped St. John's to an 89-61 victory against DePaul on Tuesday night. https://t.co/x6DCj1bAZy
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) December 18, 2024
The Loss Of Isaac Could Hurt Creighton’s Big East Odds
Creighton has the most impressive non-conference win among the Big East teams with a 76-63 win over top-ranked Kansas. Pop Isaacs led the way with 27 points. It was the final game of the season for the Texas Tech transfer as he will miss the rest of the season with a hip injury.
Big East Preseason Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner leads the Bluejays with averages of 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Steven Ashworth is putting up 16.3 points and 6.2 assists per game.
Creighton’s Big East odds have gone from +350 to +400 since the season began. The Bluejays begin Big East play at Georgetown on Wednesday.
Butler’s Odds Going In The Wrong Direction
The Butler Bulldogs are trending in the wrong direction when it comes to the Big East odds. Butler began the season priced at +4000 to win the Big East and now sits at +15000.
The Bulldogs returned their top two scorers from last season. Jahmyl Telfort and Pierre Brooks are both averaging more than 15 points per game. Iowa transfer Patrick McCaffery adds 12.9 points per game. However, a lack of scoring depth could be an issue for Butler.
