Creighton vs. Ohio: Preview, odds, how to watch NCAA Tournament second round

How to Watch

Time: 6:10 p.m. ET

TV: TNT (Ian Eagle, Grant Hill, Jamie Erdahl on the call)

Watch Online: March Madness Live

Betting Odds

Spread: Creighton -5.5

Total: 149.5

Moneyline: Creighton -235 | Ohio +194

Creighton can become the second — and last — Big East team to get to the Sweet 16 Monday night. The Bluejays, who survived the onslaught from UCSB in the opening round, face Ohio U in the Round of 32. The Bobcats pulled off a mighty upset over 4-seeded Virginia, rallying back to win it and send UVA packing.

Ohio most recently made the Sweet 16 between these two teams. The Bobcats were last seen there in back in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. They made it as a 13-seed, and sure enough, that’s where they reside now of course. For Creighton, the drought has been longer. The Bluejays haven’t been to the Sweet 16 since all the way back in 1974. They’ve had plenty of NCAA Tournament teams since then, but none have been able to break through the opening weekend.

To do so, Creighton will have to take advantage of a paltry Ohio defense. The Bobcats are pretty standard fare but have a huge weakness the Bluejays can exploit. Ohio ranks 240th in the country in 2-point defense, while Creighton’s 56.3 percent mark inside ranks 10th in the country. Ohio themselves are right behind them at 11th on offense, but Creighton does have a good interior defense that can stand up to them. They allowed 44.8 percent against UVA, a solid mark, but nothing to suggest they can completely tame the beast either.

Ben Vander Plas and Jason Preston are the ones to watch for Ohio here. Preston is coming off an 11-point, 13-rebound, and eight-assist game against the Cavaliers, good for an all-around terrific performance. Vander Plas scored 17 points meanwhile.