No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament Auburn pulled away in the second half after a quiet start against No. 16 seed Alabama State, setting up a second round matchup against No. 9 seed Creighton. 

The Bluejays blitzed Louisville in the first round en route to a double digit victory, and now enter as an underdog yet again against the top team in the ‘Big Dance’ in Auburn. However, after a run of five straight non-covers, is Auburn vulnerable? 

Here’s our second round betting preview. 

Creighton vs. Auburn Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

  • Creighton: +9.5 (-115)
  • Auburn: -9.5 (-105)

Moneyline

  • Creighton: +1160
  • Auburn: -2800

Total: 150.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Creighton vs. Auburn How to Watch

  • Date: Saturday, March 22nd
  • Game Time: 7:10 PM EST
  • Venue: Rupp Arena
  • How to Watch (TV): TBS/truTV
  • Creighton Record: 25-10
  • Auburn Record: 29-5

Creighton vs. Auburn Key Players to Watch

Creighton

Ryan Kalkbrenner: The hub of both Creighton’s offense and defense, Kalkbrenner was at his best against Louisville, scoring 14 points on six-of-eight shooting with six rebounds and four blocks. He also dished out two assists and contributed to plenty of open shots for the Bluejays as he drew a ton of attention near the rim. 

Auburn

Johni Broome: It was a relatively quiet effort for Broome, the Wooden Award candidate, who scored 14 points on nine field goal attempts while grabbing 11 rebounds. The big man is averaging nearly 19 points per game with 10 rebounds on 51%, but will face a stiff test with Kalkbrenner manning the rim. 

Creighton vs. Auburn Prediction and Pick

Auburn continues a late season swoon, but is still being priced like arguably the best team in the country, laying nearly double digits against a quality Creighton team. 

The Bluejays looked the part in its demolition of Louisville, leading for nearly the entire game behind a torrid shooting display that featured 45% from beyond the arc. 

However, I’m not sure that Creighton will have as potent of an offensive display in this one against an Auburn team that can play one-on-one with Kalkbrenner and do a great job of funneling teams towards the rim and off the three-point line. 

I believe that Creighton’s lack of one-on-one isolation creators will play a big role in this one as the team struggles to attack Auburn on the glass or finish off the dribble. 

Meanwhile, the opposite is true for the Tigers, who can win one-one-one against Creighton’s slower footed defenders that have struggled to contain isolation sets all season. 

However, the market is showing the difference between the two teams, so let’s look for another way to play this one. 

I’ll opt for the under. Both defenses are built to run the opposition off the three-point line, rating inside the top 100 in opponent three-point rate allowed. This makes for a clash of styles for both teams, who generate a majority of its offense from the three-point line. 

Factor in that Creighton has the lowest opposing free throw rate in the country, and this game may feature some empty possessions and a running clock. 

PICK: UNDER 150.5 (-105, Available at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Creighton vs. Auburn Prediction, Odds, Key Players to Watch for NCAA Tournament Second Round.