The Creighton Bluejays and Providence Friars are separated by just one game in the Big East standings. That’s what makes Wednesday night’s matchup between the Jays and Friars so pivotal. The two squads are set to meet up in Friartown for the second time this season, and things figure to be quite intriguing.

Creighton comes into this game riding a hot streak. The Bluejays have won four in a row and five of their last six games. Their 1-2 start in Big East play is a thing of the past, as they’re now 6-3 and in sole possession of third place in the conference. They already own a victory over Providence, having defeated the Friars 78-74 on January 18 in Omaha. That was the start of their current four-game winning streak, as they’ve racked up victories against the DePaul Blue Demons, Xavier Musketeers and most recently, the Villanova Wildcats.

Providence, meanwhile, is anything but hot. After riding a four-game win streak of their own from December 21-January 7, and a run of 5-1 from December 21-January 15, Providence has dropped three of their last four games. Those three losses came consecutively to Creighton, the Seton Hall Pirates and Villanova. They picked up a startling and much-needed victory over the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle over the weekend, which helped to stop the bleeding. They are now 5-4 in conference play and 12-10 overall. A win would behoove them, as watching their 4-1 start in Big East play wither away would be pretty demoralizing, we’d say.

Be on the lookout for one Denzel Mahoney in this one. Mahoney is coming off a 21-point showing against Villanova, his best performance yet in a Bluejay uniform. He’s quietly been terrific, posting double figures in every game but two so far that he’s played in with the Jays. His efficiency could be better, all things considered. But he’s still played incredibly solid ball since the second semester began.

Luwane Pipkins might be one to watch for Providence. After scoring 11 in their loss to Villanova, Pipkins was terrific in the win over Butler.He dropped 22 points off the bench, went 10-for-10 from the free throw line and 4-for-9 from beyond the arc. Pipkins has been damn near lights out from the stripe this year, posting the best FT% in the entire country (.979). He has missed all but one of his 25 free throw attempts against Big East opponents, which also ranks tops in the Big East.

HOW TO WATCH

Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: FSN (Check listings)
Watch Online: Fox Sports Go (Where Available)

ODDS

Spread: Providence -2
Total: 140.5
Moneyline: Creighton +115 | Providence -135