Xavier vs. Marquette prediction, pick, college basketball odds
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It’ll be a classic Big East matchup on Saturday when the 22nd-ranked Xavier Musketeers meet the seventh-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles in a crucial battle for both teams. Marquette will have the juices flowing, as it’ll be a white-out game at the already team-friendly confines of the Fiserv Forum. It’s a special night for the program as they welcome back their 1993-94 Sweet 16 team for the game. Marquette has always been a difficult matchup for Xavier, and it hasn’t changed in this era, with the Golden Eagles winning five consecutive matchups and seven of their past ten. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Xavier-Marquette prediction and pick.
Xavier is just 3-4 in the Big East, which has led them to a 4-6 record over their past ten games. They have beaten the conference’s weaker teams like Seton Hall, Depaul, and Villanova but have been nowhere close against the Big East’s superior teams. They made it a close game when they hosted Marquette earlier this year, losing by just two points at home as four-point underdogs. The team had four double-digit scorers, but it wasn’t enough.
Kam Jones and David Joplin led the team with 20 and 19 points, respectively, when these teams met in December. It wasn’t the most impressive game for Marquette, but that could give them some extra motivation for this game. Marquette has two losses this season, with both coming over their last ten games. They haven’t had much of a challenge in Big East play, entering four of their first six games as double-digit favorites. The losses aren’t discouraging, as they both came on the road as underdogs.
Here are the Xavier-Marquette College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Xavier-Marquette Odds
Xavier: +9.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +375
Marquette: -9.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -500
Over: 149.5 (-110)
Under: 149.5 (-110)
How to Watch Xavier vs. Marquette
Time: 2 PM ET/11 AM PT
TV: FOX
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Xavier Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Golden Eagles earned their No. 7 ranking with their play this season, losing just two of 17 games to start the year. However, can a team’s betting record show that it might not be sustainable, or is it just an intriguing trend that can help make bettors money? Marquette is 8-2 over their last ten games and have been double-digit favorites in four of their first six conference games, but are just 2-8 against the spread. They have tight victories over Depaul, Georgetown, Creighton, and Butler. If some points go in opposite directions, and they get upset in a couple of those games, are we looking at Marquette differently?
Why Marquette Will Cover The Spread/Win
Marquette has the defense to neutralize Xavier’s 87th-ranked offense. Marquette is 56th in the nation, allowing just 67.4 points per game. The one area where Marquette will have to be careful is with Xavier’s three-point shooting, but the Golden Eagles have been above-average this season with a 31.7% three-point efficiency allowed.
Final Xavier-Marquette Prediction & Pick
Marquette hasn’t been good at covering spreads this season, and Xavier nearly picked up an outright win against them earlier this season. The good news for the Golden Eagles is that they’ve covered the spread in four of the past five home games against Xavier, and Shaka Smart will have a good scheme cooked up after playing the Musketeers once already this season. Marquette has been lights out at home, and our value on this spread is too good to ignore.
Final Xavier-Marquette Prediction & Pick: Marquette -9.5 (-110)
The post Xavier vs. Marquette prediction, pick, college basketball odds appeared first on ClutchPoints.
