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The Seton Hall Pirates sit atop the Big East Conference standings with just a few weeks remaining, but they still have some work left to do to stay there. Seton Hall will host the Butler Bulldogs on Wednesday night in a battle of ranked teams that will be playing in March. Butler suffered a 78-70 home loss to the Seton Hall Pirates earlier in the year, and they will be looking for some revenge in this game.
Butler has gone just 2-3 in their last five games, and they are starting to slide down the standings. The Bulldogs have gone just 7-6 so far in Big East Conference play, but are an impressive 19-7 overall this season. Seton Hall has lost two straight games, but they remain in first place in the league. The Pirates are 10-3 so far in Big East play, and are 18-7 overall. Seton Hall could fall out of first place with a loss in this one.
Seton Hall Has Great Offense
The Seton Hall Pirates have been one of the best offensive teams in the Big East Conference this season, but they have been scuffling a bit of late. Seton Hall is averaging 74.4 points per game this season, but struggled to get to 70 points in their last game, which was a loss. The Pirates have been a solid defensive team, holding teams to just 66.6 points. Seton Hall won’t be the best defensive team in this game, and they are going to have to win it with offense.
Guards lead the way for the Seton Hall Pirates, and they are tough to beat when they are shooting the ball well. Guard Myles Powell leads the team with 21.7 points per game this season, and he has the ball in his hands a ton for this team. Seton Hall is closing in on 200 made three point shots this season, and they aren’t going to be shy about trying to score in a hurry.
Butler Wants to Play Slow
If the Butler Bulldogs are going to pull off a win in this game then they are going to have to slow down the tempo. Butler is scoring just under 69 points per game this season, but their strength is in their defense. The Bulldogs are holding teams to just 61.7 points per game, making them one of the 20 best defensive teams in the country. Butler will need to be solid on defense against an explosive Seton Hall team.
Guard Kamar Baldwin is one of the best pure scorers in the Big East Conference, and he can score in a variety of ways. Baldwin leads the team with 16.1 points per game, and point guard Aaron Thompson is dishing out over 5.0 assists per game. The Bulldogs have some solid players in their starting lineup, but lack of depth has hurt them at times.
Seton Hall Too Dominant at Home
Life on the road has not been kind to Big East teams this season, and that trend should continue through this week. Butler has the type of team that can win anywhere, but trying to beat Seton Hall on their home floor is not an easy task. The Bulldogs are going to try to slow down the pace, but that’s easier said than done against the Pirates. Seton Hall is the top team in the conference for a reason, and they are going to pick up another impressive win on Wednesday night. Bet the Seton Hall Pirates over the Butler Bulldogs in this Big East showdown. Take the Pirates -5 at www.A1PPH.com; our favorite pay per head bookie site.
