Georgetown vs Butler Odds, Pick
| Georgetown Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10.5 -110 | 149.5 -115o / -105u | +425 |
| Butler Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10.5 -110 | 149.5 -115o / -105u | -600 |
Big East play is always difficult, regardless of the team's records entering the contest. Conference games provide a different level of intensity than regular season games.
Here's Georgetown vs Butler odds and a pick for Tuesday.
Georgetown Hoyas
The Hoyas enter this game 7-4 on a two-game winning streak (Coppin State and Notre Dame).
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the mini-winning streak is they did it without leading scorer Jayden Epps. Sophomore guard Rowan Brumbaugh won conference freshman of the week for scoring 14 points against Coppin and 15 against Notre Dame.
If Epps remains out, Brumbaugh will shoulder the ball-handling duties again.
Newly enshrined head coach Ed Cooley wants to win by hitting perimeter jumpers. Georgetown attempts 3s on 42.4% of possessions, connecting on 37%.
It's a bit different without the shot-creation of Epps, but the Hoyas present plenty of other perimeter threats. Forward Dontrez Styles is shooting over 40% from deep, and star freshman Drew Fiedler hit four triples against Notre Dame on Saturday.
The downfall of the Hoyas comes on defense, which sounds strange based on Cooley's lineage of coaching stout defenses.
It's not much different from Cooley's early stages at Providence, but Georgetown sits 289th nationally in defensive efficiency. In the Hoyas' two losses against high-major foes — Syracuse and TCU — both opponents utilized skilled players with length to attack the rim.
Georgetown's defensive struggles must subside entering conference play against a solid offensive team.
Butler Bulldogs
Butler is one of the biggest risers in the early college basketball season, jumping from 96th to 58th in KenPom's rankings.
Nobody put Butler in the NCAA Tournament discussion in the preseason, but the Bulldogs are now firmly in the mix.
Butler owns wins over Texas Tech, Boise State, and Penn State. Each of those three will help Butler's chances of making the NCAA Tournament, but none fall under the Quad 1 win category.
While Georgetown isn't the caliber of win Butler needs to inch closer to the NCAA Tournament bubble, beating teams you should beat is just as important. That's the case here.
The additions of Pierre Brooks II and Jahmyl Telfort have morphed the Bulldog's offense into a well-oiled machine. The two guards display the skills to dominate inside and out. Brooks is averaging 16.8 points per contest, shooting 51% from the floor and 40% from deep. The Hoyas don't have a great one-on-one matchup for either.
Thad Matta's offense is one of the best in the sport at scoring inside the arc, converting on 57% of two-point shots. The mixture of length and athleticism allows Butler's offense to operate inside effortlessly.
St. John's transfer Posh Alexander makes the team significantly better as a reliable floor general and dominant point-of-attack defender. Alexander posted a triple-double against Texas Tech two weeks ago in the Bulldogs' most significant non-conference win.
Georgetown vs. Butler
Betting Pick & Prediction
Don't expect Georgetown to pull an incredible upset win. That's not my line of thinking here.
In fact, Georgetown won't win many conference games.
That said, Georgetown regularly hangs around against more talented opponents and won't take a 20-point beating. I would liken this game to Georgetown's game at Rutgers, where the Scarlet Knights won 71-60. The similarities are it's a high-major road game, and Butler is in the Rutgers range talent and metrics-wise.
The Hoyas' perimeter shooting prowess will keep them close enough to cover the spread.
Pick: Georgetown +11.5
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