Butler Opens Non-Conference Play Against Fairleigh Dickinson

Butler will host Fairleigh Dickinson in a non-conference game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Wednesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs are listed as 26.5-point favorites, and the total points line is set at 156.5.

Both teams finished their previous matchups on Monday. Butler defeated Lafayette 96-60, securing a second win in as many games. Fairleigh Dickinson lost to Illinois 120-45, extending a losing streak. The Knights are aiming to stop a slide after falling on the road to a Big Ten opponent.

The betting market reflects the disparity in recent form. Butler enters the contest with a 96-60 victory under its belt, while FDU absorbed a 75-point deficit. The spread of 26.5 points places the game firmly in Butler territory. The over/under of 156.5 suggests a high-scoring affair is expected by bookmakers, though the model diverges from that view.

A projection model by SportsLine simulates the game 10,000 times to determine likely outcomes. The model predicts the total score will land under the 156.5-point line. It projects the combined final score at 160 points. The Under has hit in three of the last four Fairleigh Dickinson games. FDU averaged 67.2 points per game last season, ranking 341st in the nation. Butler averaged 79.4 points, ranking 92nd.

The model projects no Fairleigh Dickinson player will score more than seven points. David Jevtic and Vophcy Prophete are the only Knights expected to reach six points or more. Butler has two players projected to score 15 or more points: Jalen Jackson and Jordan Ellerbee. The model indicates the under hits in 63% of simulations.

Last season, Fairleigh Dickinson finished 11-21 overall and tied for sixth in the Northeast Conference at 8-10. Butler went 16-16 and tied for seventh in the Big East at 7-13. The Knights are coming off a season where they averaged 67.2 points per game. The Bulldogs are coming off a season where they averaged 79.4 points per game. The model is on an 11-1 run for top-rated over/under picks dating back to 2025. It is on a 28-22 run for top-rated side picks.

The game marks the second non-conference matchup for Butler. FDU is playing its third game of the season. The Knights lost their first two contests. Butler won its first two. The spread and total are the current market lines. The model’s simulation favors the under total over the side pick in terms of hit rate. The projected score of 160 points is below the current over/under line of 156.5 plus the margin of error implied by the 63% hit rate.