Butler Bulldogs vs DePaul Blue Demons Picks, Prediction, Odds, and Line Movement for Saturday March 7 2026
Use Code WWWC The Big East regular season wraps up Saturday in Chicago with a matchup that defies its standings-based framing, and these Butler vs DePaul picks center on a game where the first meeting was decided by seven despite Butler shooting 57% from the floor — and if you want the full Saturday college basketball card broken down, our college basketball picks cover every game from tip-off to final buzzer. DePaul is playing better basketball than its record suggests, both teams have been cooperating with the under at a remarkable rate recently, and the market is pricing this nearly as a coin flip despite the Blue Demons' home floor and recent form. Here is everything you need before tip-off at Wintrust Arena.
Quick Picks and Prediction
- Spread Pick: DePaul -2.5
- Total Pick: Under 142.5
- Projected Final Score: DePaul 72, Butler 66
Odds and Line Movement
DePaul opened as a 2.5-point home favorite with heavy juice at -118 while Butler sits at -104 as of the only tracked update. The juice structure reflects the market's recognition that this game is genuinely close — paying -118 for a 2.5-point home favorite signals that the book sees meaningful two-way interest and is adjusting the price to manage liability rather than moving the number. The total opened at 142.5 with the over at -115 and the under at -105, an opening lean toward the under that aligns with both teams' recent totals history. With only a single data point for each market, the opening price is the current price and no line movement has occurred since posting.
Opening Odds
| Market | Butler | DePaul |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | +2.5 (-104) | -2.5 (-118) |
| Total (Over) | 142.5 (-115) | |
| Total (Under) | 142.5 (-105) | |
Current Odds
| Market | Butler | DePaul |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | +2.5 (-104) | -2.5 (-118) |
| Total (Over) | 142.5 (-115) | |
| Total (Under) | 142.5 (-105) | |
Line Movement - Spread
| Date | Time | Butler | DePaul | Public ($, #) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/06 | 01:45:09 PM | +2½ -104 | -2½ -118 | – |
Line Movement - Total
| Date | Time | Over | Under | Public ($, #) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/06 | 01:45:09 PM | 142½ -115 | 142½ -105 | – |
Butler vs DePaul Key Matchups and Handicap
This Big East regular-season finale is more competitive than the standings imply, and the market's near-coin-flip pricing confirms that the numbers alone do not tell the full story. DePaul enters at 16-14 overall and 8-11 in Big East play as the home team, while Butler is 15-15 and 6-13 as the visiting side — a records comparison that makes the Blue Demons look like the clear choice, but the January meeting in Indianapolis complicated that narrative significantly. Butler won that game 87-80, shooting 57% from the floor and 47% from three, with Finley Bizjack scoring 24 and Michael Ajayi adding 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. DePaul stayed competitive behind 20 from Layden Blocker, but the Bulldogs' shooting efficiency in that game was exceptional — a performance level that is difficult to repeat on a neutral or road floor, and one that the Blue Demons have specifically prepared to counter in the rematch.
Butler's offensive profile is the most dangerous element of the handicap for DePaul backers. The Bulldogs average 79.3 points per game with 37.6 rebounds per contest, numbers that reflect a team capable of generating efficient looks and controlling the glass when their offense is working. Bizjack leads at 17.0 points per game as the primary scoring option, while Ajayi provides the most complete two-way contribution on the roster at 11.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game — an interior anchor who can initiate offense from the high post and clean up missed shots at both ends. When Butler is shooting well and Ajayi is dominating the glass, the Bulldogs are difficult to beat regardless of location.
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The problem is that Butler's defense has been a structural liability all season, allowing 77.3 points per game — a total that creates coverage risk in every close game. DePaul at home with proper game-plan preparation is fully capable of reaching that average, and the Blue Demons' recent form provides evidence that they are playing better basketball entering Saturday than their overall record suggests. DePaul has beaten Seton Hall, Creighton, and Marquette in the past three weeks before Wednesday's 76-57 loss to Villanova — a quality win sequence that confirms the Blue Demons are capable of playing at the level required to beat Butler at Wintrust.
DePaul's offensive balance is underrated by casual observers. CJ Gunn leads at 13.5 points per game as the primary perimeter option, NJ Benson provides interior scoring and rebounding at 11.3 points and 7.5 boards, Blocker adds 11.0 points and 3.4 assists as a playmaking guard, and Brandon Maclin contributes 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds as a versatile wing. That four-man balance means the Blue Demons do not need a single player to carry the offensive load — they can distribute scoring across the lineup and still reach the 70-plus points they need to win this game. The Blue Demons average 70.7 points per game while allowing just 69.4, a positive defensive margin that speaks to their ability to control tempo and limit transition scoring when the game plan is properly executed.
The totals data is the most compelling argument for the under. Butler has gone under in five of its last six Saturday games. DePaul has gone under in four of its last five games overall. That combined 9-of-11 recent under rate is not a coincidence — it reflects stylistic tendencies that produce lower-scoring games even when the season averages suggest otherwise. The opening juice at -115 for the over and -105 for the under already builds in a market lean toward the lower-scoring outcome, and the matchup context supports that lean: DePaul's defensive structure and home-floor comfort should slow the pace below what Butler generated in January, and the Blue Demons' more deliberate offense rarely forces opponents into the kind of up-tempo game that produces over results.
Betting Trends – BUT vs DEP
- DePaul is 16-14 overall and 8-11 in Big East play; Butler is 15-15 overall and 6-13 in Big East play.
- Butler won the regular-season first meeting 87-80 in Indianapolis on January 20, with Bizjack scoring 24 and Ajayi adding 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
- DePaul has won three of its last four games before Wednesday's loss to Villanova, beating Seton Hall, Creighton, and Marquette.
- Butler averages 79.3 points per game and 37.6 rebounds; DePaul averages 70.7 points while allowing just 69.4.
- Finley Bizjack leads Butler at 17.0 points per game; Michael Ajayi contributes 11.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
- CJ Gunn leads DePaul at 13.5 points per game; NJ Benson adds 11.3 points and 7.5 rebounds.
- Butler has gone under in five of its last six Saturday games.
- DePaul has gone under in four of its last five games overall.
- The spread opened at DePaul -2.5 with heavy juice at -118 — a near coin-flip structure reflecting two-way market interest.
- The total opened with the over at -115 and the under at -105, reflecting an early market lean toward the lower-scoring outcome.
Key Injuries and Notes – BUT vs DEP
- Azavier Robinson (BUT) – Out (Season-Ending): Robinson's season-ending absence removes backcourt depth and secondary playmaking from a Butler lineup that relies heavily on Bizjack and Ajayi for offensive creation. His unavailability means the Bulldogs' bench scoring options are thinner, and any foul trouble for either primary creator creates rotation problems that compound in the second half of a close game.
- Jalen Jackson (BUT) – Out: Jackson's absence further trims Butler's backcourt depth, leaving the Bulldogs with limited secondary guard options beyond their starting lineup. The cumulative impact of losing Robinson and Jackson means Butler's rotation will be compressed in a game where DePaul's home environment and defensive structure can generate exactly the kind of late-game fatigue that exposed bench players are designed to mitigate.
- Jeremy Lorenz (DEP) – Out: Lorenz's absence removes a rotation contributor from DePaul's lineup but does not impact the Blue Demons' four-man scoring core of Gunn, Benson, Blocker, and Maclin, all of whom are expected to be available Saturday.
- Amsal Delalic (DEP) – Out: Delalic's unavailability further trims DePaul's depth but is manageable given the Blue Demons' rotation stability at the top of their lineup heading into Saturday's finale.
- Isaiah Medina (DEP) – Questionable: Medina is listed as questionable and is worth monitoring before tip-off. His availability or unavailability affects DePaul's depth without changing their starting lineup's offensive or defensive structure in a significant way.
ATS and Total Picks
- Spread Pick – DePaul -2.5 (-118): The Blue Demons are at home, in better recent form than their record suggests, and have the defensive structure to slow Butler from the 57% shooting performance in the first meeting. DePaul's four-man balanced offense is more reliable in a deliberate halfcourt setting than Butler's depth-dependent attack missing two backcourt contributors. Back DePaul at -2.5 despite the -118 juice.
- Total Pick – Under 142.5 (-105): Butler has gone under in five of its last six Saturday games and DePaul in four of its last five overall — a 9-of-11 combined recent under rate that reflects stylistic tendencies both programs consistently produce. The opening juice at -105 for the under is the best-priced bet on this game. Take the under.
Final Score Prediction
DePaul 72, Butler 66. The Blue Demons control pace at Wintrust, Benson dominates the interior against a thinned Butler frontcourt, and Gunn and Blocker generate enough perimeter scoring to hold off Bizjack's individual production. The under cashes as DePaul's defensive structure keeps the combined total well below 142.5. Back DePaul -2.5 and take the under at -105.
How to Bet the Bulldogs vs Blue Demons on Saturday
A Big East regular-season finale with bubble positioning implications, fresh lines, and two of the most reliable under teams in recent form on the same floor — here is how to get positioned before Saturday's tip-off at Wintrust Arena in Chicago:
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