College Basketball Picks: Creighton Bluejays vs. Missouri State Bears

The Creighton Bluejays (15-1) have plenty of reasons to smile after putting together a nine-game winning streak, as they hit the road to face the Missouri State Bears (5-11) on Friday night, with the opening tip scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET at the JQH Arena.

Sports bettors will find that the Bluejays are 14-point favorites in the college basketball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total sits at 127 in the market.

Let's take a closer look at this Missouri Valley Conference matchup from a betting perspective, while offering an against-the-spread (ATS) pick along the way.

The Creighton Bluejays lead the nation in shooting from beyond the arc at 44.9 percent, which is a major reason why they've compiled a money-making 11-3 ATS record this season.

Forward Doug McDermott is averaging a team-high 22.6 points per game, and is knocking down 49.3 percent of his attempts from the three-point area. 

The Missouri State Bears need senior guard Anthony Downing to have his best game of the season, as he's averaged 20.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals in four Missouri Valley Conference games.

Sports bettors will find that the Bears have covered all four of their conference games against the spread to this point. 

I'm going to recommend that readers back the Missouri State Bears as one of their college basketball picks on Friday night, as they've gone 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games when facing a team with a winning road record.

College Basketball Pick: Missouri State Bears +14

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