The Marquette Golden Eagles (13-6, 4-3 Big East) head to No. 11 Xavier to take on the Musketeers (18-3, 6-2 Big East) in what should be a high-scoring game. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 24, 2018.
Xavier opened as a 7.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 165.5 points.
Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Xavier Musketeers Free Prediction
The Golden Eagles come in on a high note after blowing out the DePaul Blue Demons in their last outing, 70-52. Marquette’s 0.500 effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over DePaul, who had a mark of 0.313. The Golden Eagles’ mark was below their season average of 0.569, while the Blue Demons’ was below their season average of 0.486. Marquette was led by Sam Hauser, who was the game’s high scorer with 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting.
In the Musketeers’ last matchup, they were victorious over the No. 19 Seton Hall Pirates, 73-64. The Musketeers had a much better free throw rate (0.241 vs. 0.131), while the Pirates had a turnover percentage of 21.4 (above their season average of 16.5). J.P. Macura was the game’s leading scorer with 27 points on 8-for-14 shooting.
The high-octane offense of Xavier (13th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 118.0) will go head-to-head against the bottom-tier defense of Marquette (284th in the NCAA with a defensive efficiency of 107.5). The Musketeers should have the edge on that end of the court. Also, the Golden Eagles rank 44th in turnover percentage (16.6 percent), while the Musketeers rank 326th in opponents’ turnover percentage (16.1 percent).
Marquette heads into the contest with records of 13-6 straight up (SU) and 9-8-1 against the spread (ATS). Games involving the Golden Eagles have a slight tendency to finish over the total (52.9 percent).
Meanwhile, Xavier is 18-3 SU and 14-7 ATS. Musketeers games have a tendency to go over the total (55.0 percent).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. Andrew Rowsey scored a game-high 31 points in the first game, in which the Golden Eagles lost 91-87, unable to cover as 3-point underdogs. The game finished with a total of 178 points, which was 17 points above the projected point total of 161 points. Xavier did a great job of making free throws (22-24; 91.7 percent). Marquette, on the other hand, had a better turnover percentage (11.7 vs. 13.3).
Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Xavier Musketeers Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Marquette, ATS Winner – Marquette, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Marquette is 5-2 ATS with 6 overs and 1 under.
At home, Xavier is 9-4 ATS with 7 overs and 5 unders.
Marquette ranks 13th in three pointers attempted per game (28.6) while Xavier ranks 255th in three pointers allowed per game (25.6).
The Musketeers rank 36th in rebounds per game (39.4) while the Golden Eagles rank 250th (32.8).
Xavier ranks 16th in assists per game (17.6) while Marquette ranks 184th in assists allowed per game (14.7).
The Golden Eagles rank 50th in steals allowed per game (5.5) while the Musketeers rank 146th (7.0).
Marquette ranks 62nd in blocks per game (4.2) while Xavier ranks 138th in blocks allowed per game (4.1).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Marquette is 4-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Xavier is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Golden Eagles’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 4.4, down from 7.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Musketeers have scored an average of 78.0 points per game (6.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 77.2 points per game (4.2 above their season average).
