NCAA Basketball Betting: Bluejays, Golden Eagles Soaring Above the Rest in the Big East

The 2023-24 men's college basketball season is drawing near, and FanDuel Sportsbook has college basketball conference betting odds live.

Here is how they look for the Big East's regular season winner:

Creighton Bluejays (+240)

The Creighton Bluejays suffered two notable losses in the offseason with Ryan Nembhard and Arthur Kaluma hitting the transfer portal. Both players averaged over 11.0 points per game (PPG). Nembhard transferred to Gonzaga while Kaluma relocated to Kansas State.

Let's not act like Creighton's situation is dire, though. They still return three key starters in Baylor Scheierman, Trey Alexander, and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Scheierman and Alexander were made All-Big East Honorable Mention last season, and Kalkbrenner is a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

The Bluejays addressed their losses by landing Steven Ashworth in the transfer portal. Ashworth earned All-Mountain West First Team honors with Utah State in the 2022-23 season, averaging 16.2 PPG.

Creighton will likely have a similar identity to last season -- a strong starting lineup with a limited rotation. The Bluejays featured one of the best all-around squads a season ago, ranking 21st in Bart Torvik's adjusted offensive efficiency and 15th in adjusted defensive efficiency.

Will the Bluejays win their second Big East title and first since the 2019-20 season?

Marquette Golden Eagles (+240)

Alongside Creighton, the Marquette Golden Eagles are co-favorites to win the Big East regular season title. Marquette is chasing a repeat after winning the regular season and tournament titles in the 2022-23 season.

The Golden Eagles' exceptional season ended in disappointment, courtesy of March Madness. They lost as a No. 2 seed in the second round. Marquette returns plenty of experience with Tyler Kolek, Kameron Jones, and Oso Ighodaro. Kolek made All-Big East First Team last season, and Jones and Ighodaro were featured on the All-Big East Second Team.

They enter the season ranked No. 5 in the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll. The Eagles even have national championship aspirations with the fourth-shortest odds to win it all (+2000) when looking at FanDuel's college basketball national championship odds -- the same number as Creighton.

Marquette should have an exceptional offense after ranking eighth in Bart Torvik's adjusted offensive efficiency. However, defense may be a concern, for they finished in the 46th percentile of points allowed per game and opponent field goal percentage. With Olivier-Maxence Prosper moving on to the NBA, the Golden Eagles could lack defensive versatility.

Connecticut Huskies (+330)

Surely, the defending national champions are the preseason favorite to win the Big East, right? Think again; the Huskies have just the third-shortest odds to win the regular season conference title.

Of course, this has plenty to do with losing notable pieces. According to Bart Torvik's 2023-24 projections, UConn is returning only 42.6% of their minutes. Compare that to Creighton's 63.0% and Marquette's 84.7%; you can see why the Huskies are not quite viewed on the same level.

Still, the Huskies are very much in the national picture. They come into the season ranked No. 6 in the preseason polls and are +2200 to repeat as national champs. Clearly, this roster still has plenty of talent.

UConn is replacing Jordan Hawkins, Andre Jackson Jr., and Adama Sanogo, who all averaged over 26.0 minutes per game last season. Jackson did a little bit of everything with his versatile game, Hawkins was a sniper from three while averaging 16.2 PPG, and Sanogo was one of America's top big men with 17.2 PPG and 7.7 rebounds per game (RPG).

Alex Karaban and Donovan Clingan return, forming an elite frontcourt. Plus, Tristen Newton is back and on the Bob Cousy Award watchlist -- awarded to the nation's top point guard. Five-star true freshman Stephon Castle is also a projected starter. He drew glowing reviews as a high school prospect for his exceptional drive and playmaking skills.

Others

Outside of the top three favorites, Villanova has the third-shortest odds (+550) to win the Big East regular season title. The Wildcats return 61.8% of their minutes and added Tyler Burton via the transfer portal (10th in 24/7 Sports' transfer rankings). There's a large drop off after Villanova with St. John's at +1600.

The Big East looks to be a three-horse race between Creighton, Marquette, and UConn with Villanova as the "dark horse" option.

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