Rogers' 10* TOP TICKET >> WON 7 STRAIGHT 10*s!
(NCAAB) Providence vs. Creighton,
Point Spread: -8.00 | -106.00 Creighton (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The 16-11 Providence Friars (6-8 in Big East play) will be on the road Wednesday night to take on the 22-5 Creighton Bluejays (9-5 in Big East). The Friars are going nowhere in the Big East (tied for 6th in a 10-team league) but own home wins the last two games over Butler and Xavier. Creighton only has slim conference title hopes (Villanova is 11-2) but the team routed Georgetown on Sunday, 87-70.

Providence: The Friars are an at-large "bubble team" and a win here would be a huge help. PG Cartwright (11.1 & 6.7 APG) has overcome knee tendinitis to average 14.9 points over his last nine games. The 6-8 Bullock (16.7 & 6.1) is the team's best player with two 6-7 players, Holt (12.1 & 5.8) and Lindsey (10.0 & 4.2) rounding out the team's double digit scorers. Coming on is freshman guard Alpha Diallo (5.1), who is averaging 11.3 points on 55 percent from the floor over his last six games.

Creighton: The Bluejays suffered a huge loss when PG Maurice Watson Jr. (12.9 & 8.5 APG) was lost for the season eight games ago to a torn ACL. We're a completely different team now (without Watson). We still get our transition buckets, but we also have to go to our half-court motion game. … My game is coming slow and easy," Marcus Foster told reporters after Creighton beat Georgetown. Foster scored a career-high 35 points against the Hoyas and leads the team at 18.6 PPG. Guard Thomas (11.9-5.6-3.1) is playing more PG now with Watson out plus 7-0 freshman center Patton (13.5 & 6.30 is having a fine season. The 6-8 Huff (9.2 & 4.) is a solid frontcourt player, as well.

The pick: Providence has won six of the eight meetings between the teams since Creighton joined the Big East prior to the start of the 2013-14 season but one of those two Creighton wins came in Providence back on Jan. 7, as the Blue Jays ended a five-game losing streak to the Friars with a 78-64 road victory. Creighton will visit No. 2 Villanova on Saturday but a loss here would take a lot of luster off that showdown. Make Creighton a 10* play.