Princeton vs. Creighton preview, picks for Sweet 16 of 2023 NCAA Tournament

The No. 15 Princeton Tigers take on the No. 6 Creighton Bluejays in a Sweet 16 matchup on Friday, March 24 at the KFC YUM! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The game will air on TBS at 9:00 p.m. ET. Creighton enters as a 10-point favorite.

No. 15 Princeton (23-8, 10-4 Ivy)

First-round result: Defeated Arizona, 59-55
Second-round result: Defeated Missouri, 78-63
KenPom rating: 112 Overall, 103 Offense, 137 Defense
NET ranking: 116, (0-1 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Tosan Evbuomwan, 14.8 PPG
Key stat: Out-rebounded tournament opponents 82-67

Princeton has shocked the world, becoming just the second No. 15 seed in tournament history to reach the Sweet Sixteen after pulling off an enormous upset over Missouri. The Tigers are a methodical team, controlling the paint in both scoring and rebounding while staying consistent from the perimeter. Ryan Langborn and Blake Peters led the team in scoring against Missouri.

No. 6 Creighton (23-12, 14-6 Big East)

First-round result: Defeated NC State, 72-63
Second-round result: Defeated Baylor, 85-76
KenPom rating: 13 Overall, 27 Offense, 15 Defense
NET ranking: 17, (3-8 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Ryan Kalkbrenner, 15.4 PPG
Key stat: 28.7 defensive rebounds per game (7th in the nation)

Creighton showed just how good the Big East pool really was this year as they took down a very good Baylor team. Their depth of top scorers is impressive — though Kalkbrenner was limited to 10 points in the Baylor game, Ryan Nembhard added 30 and Trey Alexander tacked on another 17. Their rebounding strength may be the key to finally putting Princeton away in this tournament and reaching the Elite Eight.

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook

Point spread: Creighton -10
Point total: 140
Moneyline: Creighton -500, Princeton +400

The Pick

Against The Spread Pick: Princeton +10
Point total pick: Over 140
Pick to Win: Creighton -500

Princeton has already more than proven itself, and its consistency all over the court should keep them in this game. However, with Creighton’s rebounding power, Princeton won’t be able to control the paint as much, and I think the better seed wins this one.