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Carrie Stroup here with your Indiana vs. Butler betting line for Saturday’s College Basketball. Open an online wagering account at Sportsbook.com and receive up to $250 in FREE CASH here.
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Indiana -11 & 142.5
Brad Stevens and Butler will get a chance to knock off the nation's No. 1 team as it faces Indiana Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis.
The Hoosiers have lived up to their billing as the country’s top team, especially on the offensive end, where they average 89.1 PPG, the most in the nation. The Bulldogs have two losses to their name, but also own an impressive win against then-No. 9 North Carolina. They also have wins versus major conference foes in Marquette and Northwestern. Both teams have done well against the lines too. Indiana is a dominant 6-1 ATS while Butler is an impressive 5-3 against the lines. Tom Crean’s Indiana squad has shot ridiculously well to begin the year, hitting 51.5% of their shots, sixth-best in the nation. And it doesn’t get any easier for teams on the other end, where they are holding teams to 35.3% shooting, 10th-best in the country. It will be tough to do that against Butler’s deep offensive arsenal, however, which has the size and smarts to give a game to the nation’s best team. Indiana can’t expect to be so lights out all season and a Stevens-coached squad will play any game close.
Preseason All-American Cody Zeller (15.4 PPG on 63% FG, 8.9 RPG) leads the Hoosiers on offense, though he has not been quite as dominant as some expected. He’s a terror for defenses though, with his ability to run the floor and man the paint. Victor Oladipo (12.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG) is the team’s second-leading scorer, but he is more dangerous for what he can do on the defensive end. With the length to guard post players and the quickness to cover the perimeter, he is averaging 2.6 SPG. Christian Watford (12.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG) joins Zeller in the post while Will Sheehey (12.1 PPG) and Jordan Hulls (11.9 PPG, 4.0 APG) round out the team’s five double-digit scorers. Hulls will be key for Butler to shut down as the engine of this prolific offense, along with fellow guard Kevin Ferrell (team-high 4.9 APG) who is less of a scoring threat, but still dangerous with the ball, dishing out 44 assists and just 15 turnovers (2.9 ratio).
Butler 6-foot-11 center Andrew Smith (10.4 PPG) has the size to guard Zeller, but he’ll need to step up his defense and rebounding—he’s averaging just 4.4 RPG despite his size, adding just 0.6 BPG. Rotnei Clarke (17.3 PPG) carries the offensive burden for Stevens and at 6-foot-0, he might be the best pure scorer in the contest. He is hitting an incredible 4.0 threes per game on 45% shooting from deep, something Crean will need to find a way to contain. In his past two games, he is 8-of-12 (67%) from deep. Throw in Khyle Marshall (12.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and Kellen Dunham (11.0 PPG, 97% FT) and there is no shortage of offensive weapons on this squad that should be in top form to make this one a national television thriller on a neutral court.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
