NCAAB Big East Showdown – Seton Hall vs. #11 Georgetown

Seton Hall Pirates (10-5, 3-6 ATS) at No. 11 Georgetown Hoyas (12-2 SU, 5-5 ATS)

Thursday, January 14: 7:00 p.m.

Here are some NCAA Basketball Betting Trends which may impact this game:

Seton Hall: 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games
Seton Hall: 1-2 ATS on the road

Georgetown: 1-3 ATS in their last 4 games
Georgetown: Total has gone UNDER in 4 of their last 5 games

Two teams coming off emotional weekend wins will square off in a Big East showdown Thursday, when the Georgetown Hoyas host the Seton Hall Pirates.

For Georgetown, their win on Saturday was of the most improbable variety, as they overcame a 19 point first half deficit to defeat the UConn Huskies. And they couldn’t have done it without a career day from Austin Freeman.

Freeman, a former McDonald’s All-American had the game of a lifetime, scoring a career-high 33 points in the victory. Freeman also scored 28 in the second half, which was one worse than the entire UConn team who finished the half with 29.

On the year Freeman is the Georgetown Hoyas leading scorer, but he isn’t doing it alone. Sophomore Greg Monroe is averaging 14 points, as is junior guard Chris Wright. Wright has been phenomenal handling the ball as well, with a team high 3.8 assists. Monroe on the other hand has been somewhat of a disappointment, despite grabbing close to 10 rebounds a game in addition to those 14 points. He just hasn’t been as dominant as someone his size should be, and they’ll need an improved second half of the year, if they’re going to get out of the Big East in good shape.

As for Seton Hall, coming off four straight losses, the Pirates were absolutely desperate for a win, and got one Saturday against Cincinnati. They were led by Jeremy Hazell, maybe the most underrated player in this conference.

On the year Hazell is averaging 23 points per game, but seems to save his best performances for the best teams. He had 33 against Cincinnati and topped 30 against Syracuse and West Virginia as well.

In Thursday’s game, it will be a struggle of offense against defense, as the Hoyas have a top 15 scoring defense, while Seton Hall Pirates is ranked fourth in the country in scoring themselves, averaging 85 points a game.

Even though the Georgetown is at home, I’m going to give the edge to their opponents.

It’s not that Seton Hall is the better team, or that Georgetown is overrated. Neither is true. But Seton Hall is catching the Hoyas at the perfect time, coming off an emotional home victory on Saturday, and just a few days before a huge Saturday road trip to No. 5 ranked Villanova. Think Georgetown might not be looking ahead?

Also with Herb Pope, John Garcia and Jeff Robinson down low, Monroe will be held in check yet again. And as good as Freeman is, he can’t score 33 points every night.

On Thursday, surprise your friends and take the upset in the college basketball betting odds. You won’t be disappointed.

Aaron’s Pick: Seton Hall by 2