The DePaul Blue Demons travel to the Hinkle Fieldhouse to take on the Butler Bulldogs. Read more for a full DePaul vs Butler prediction and preview.
Both teams are coming off of recent losses.
For the Blue Demons, they come to Indiana fresh off a painful, 49-73 defeat to the Creighton Bluejays. Layden Blocker led the way off the bench with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 5-10 (50%) from the field and 5-6 (83.3%) from the charity strike.
For Butler, they prepare after a close, 78-80 loss in overtime to the UConn Huskies. Jahmyl Telfort led the team with 25 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. He shot 11-23 (47.8%) overall and 3-4 (75%) from the line.
General information:
Teams: DePaul (10-10, 1-8) and Butler (8-11, 1-7)
Tip: 3 p.m. CST (4 p.m. EST)
Watch: CBS Sports Network
Listen: Radio DePaul Sports & Entertainment (RDSE)
Latest on Butler basketball:
The Bulldogs haven’t fared well against conference opponents. Their only win comes from an 82-77 victory over the Seton Hall Pirates. However, their record doesn’t tell the full story.
In all but one of their conference losses this season, Butler has kept their games close and their opponents on the edge of their seats. Against UConn, they barely let the win slip away. Against other teams like Creighton (76-80) and Villanova (65-73), the Bulldogs have kept the final score within 10 points.
Against the Huskies, Butler plays like a different animal. In both matchups, the final score was less than 5 points apart, with their first matchup ending in a 74-78 loss.
In their win over the Pirates, the team shot 26-51 (51%) from the field and 7-22 (31%) from beyond the arc. However, Seton Hall scorched the Bulldogs from downtown, shooting 9-16 (56.3%). Pierre Brooks II led them with 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. He shot 6-11 (54.5%) overall and 6-8 (75%) from the free-throw line.
This team aggressively attacks the basket and draws contact to get to the line. They average the most free-throw attempts (23.8 attempts) and make the most free throws (17.5 free-throws made) in the Big East conference.
Butler is also one of the better perimeter-defending teams in the conference. They stand fourth in the Big East with opponents shooting 31.4% from downtown against them.
Latest on DePaul basketball:
DePaul finally got their first conference win since the 2022-2023 season. Their previous game against Creighton was not up to their usual performances against conference opponents.
Like Butler, the Blue Demons have kept most of their games within 10 points, going blow-for-blow with Providence (63-70) and Marquette (83-85). However, they have been blown out twice this season by conference opponents, Villanova (56-100) and, most recently, Creighton.
The Blue Demons didn’t perform as they usually do. One of the biggest reasons was the Bluejays’ clampdown on Conor Enright.
Against Creighton, Enright only recorded 2 assists and did not score. That pair of assists was the lowest amount Enright has made this season. If Enright gets swarmed by defenders, the plays begin to break down and the Blue Demons collapse.
The Bluejays showed teams how to break apart the plays that DePaul tries to run and how to win against them.
DePaul vs Butler prediction: Blue Demons by 5
Both teams are fighting for their second conference win of the season, and the result of this game could be a high-scoring affair.
Both teams are the two worst defensive teams in the Big East. Teams score the most against DePaul, averaging 73.8 points. Against the Bulldogs, teams average 71.9 points. Ultimately, one team will walk away with a win, and it will be very close, much like most Big East conference matchups this season.