To get their season underway, the Princeton Tigers will travel to Hinkle Fieldhouse and meet the Butler Bulldogs (1-0). The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 136 points with Butler opening as an 8-point favorite. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 12, 2017, and it can be seen on CBS Sports Network.
Princeton Tigers at Butler Bulldogs Free Preview
The Bulldogs will look to keep it rolling after blowing out the Kennesaw State Owls in their last outing, 82-64. With 20 points on 6-for-15 shooting, Kelan Martin led Butler in scoring. Butler dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 31.4 and a turnover percentage of 12.9. Kennesaw State had marks of 17.6 and 21.4, respectively, for those same stats.
Princeton was a 12th seed in the tournament last season and were defeated in the First Round by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Tigers went 23-6 in the regular season.
This showdown pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses. Since last season, Butler ranks 23rd in offensive efficiency and Princeton ranks 16th in defensive efficiency.
Last season, the Tigers were 23-6 straight up (SU) and 13-10-1 against the spread (ATS). Princeton’s games finished under the projected point total 58.3 percent of the time.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have records of 24-8 SU and 19-13 ATS since last season. A little over half of Butler’s games have finished under the O/U total over that same time frame.
Princeton Tigers vs. Butler Bulldogs Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Princeton, ATS Winner – Princeton, O/U – Under
Betting Notes (2016-Present):
- The Bulldogs allow the 18th-fewest blocks per game (2.5) while the Tigers rank 28th (2.6).
- Princeton is 15th in the nation with 10.6 assists allowed per game while Butler is 21st with 10.7 assists allowed per game.
- Princeton ranks 14th in three pointers attempted per game (26.3) while Butler ranks 163rd (21.1).
- The Bulldogs rank 20th in rebounds allowed per game (31.3) while the Tigers rank 83rd (33.5).
- Princeton is seventh in the NCAA with 4.5 steals allowed per game while Butler is 35th with 5.1 steals allowed per game.