Check out our free DePaul vs Northwestern pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Evanston. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
DePaul vs Northwestern Pick & Preview: Saturday, December 17th Betting Odds
Blue Demons vs Wildcats Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: DePaul Blue Demons at Northwestern Wildcats
- Where: Evanston at Welsh-Ryan Arena
- Date: Saturday, December 17th
- Betting Odds: DePaul +8.5, DEPAUL +303 | NW -391 O/U 134.5
Blue Demons Preview:
Heading into today’s matchup vs Northwestern, the DePaul Blue Demons will be taking the floor for the 12th time this season and have an overall record of 6-5. So far, the Blue Demons have played 6 games on the road, with a record of 2-4. For the season, DePaul has been the underdog in 5 games, sitting with a mark of 1-4. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Blue Demons being +8.5 point underdogs.
DePaul will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Javan Johnson who is averaging 18.18 points per game for the Blue Demons. Johnson is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Blue Demons’ offensive gameplan is the play of Umoja Gibson who has hit 38.9% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 15.18 points per game.
On offense, DePaul is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 73.3 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 11 games, they have only hit 31.8% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 34.31% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Wildcats Preview:
Through 9 games, the Northwestern Wildcats have an overall record of 7-2. So far this season, Northwestern has played 7 games at home, sitting with a record of 5-2. The Wildcats’ are sitting with a betting line that is -8.5 points in their favor. For the season, Northwestern has been favored to win in 7 games, sitting with a mark of 6-1.
Northwestern’s leading scorer this season is Boo Buie who is averaging 13.56 points per contest. So far, Buie has accounted for 21.03% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 4.22 rebounds per game and 4.56 assists. Chase Audige is the second leading scorer for the Wildcats, averaging 12.56 points per game. Between him and Audige, they are accounting for 40.5% of the team’s scoring.
On offense, Northwestern is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 73.0 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 9 games, they have only hit 34.7% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 38.69% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Free Spread Prediction: DePaul Blue Demons +8.5
Our analysis for this game between Northwestern Wildcats and the DePaul Blue Demons points to DePaul covering the spread as +8.5 point underdogs. We the line for this matchup being set too high, leaving an opportunity for DePaul to cover. Even if they are trailing throughout the game, the Blue Demons are an excellent candidate to keep the final score closer than oddsmakers are expecting. In these situations, the better team’s pace of play can play a large role in them being able to cover such a large spread. However, given that both sides are near the NCAA average in possessions per game, DePaul won’t be forced to play an unfamiliar style of basketball. Heading into the game, our model recommends locking in a bet on the DePaul Blue Demons at +8.5.
