The Marquette Golden Eagles (18-12, 9-9 Big East) challenge the DePaul Blue Demons (11-19, 4-14 Big East) in the Big East Conference Tourney at Madison Square Garden. The game starts at 9:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 7, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 152.5 points with Marquette set as a 6-point favorite.
DePaul Blue Demons vs. Marquette Golden Eagles Free Prediction
The Blue Demons are hoping for a better outcome after their 65-62 loss to the No. 3 Xavier Musketeers in their last outing. One of Xavier’s biggest advantages was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 17-19 (89.5 percent), while the Blue Demons were just 8-9 (88.9 percent). Brandon Cyrus led DePaul in scoring with 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting.
The last time the Golden Eagles played, they beat the Creighton Bluejays, 85-81. One of Marquette’s biggest strengths was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 15-18 (83.3 percent), while the Bluejays were just 8-14 (57.1 percent). Andrew Rowsey was Marquette’s high scorer with 26 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
Marquette should have the edge on the offensive side of the ball. The Golden Eagles currently rank 19th in offensive efficiency, while the Blue Demons rank 206th in defensive efficiency.
DePaul is 16-14 against the spread (ATS), despite being 11-19 straight up (SU). Blue Demons games have no tendency in regards to the O/U total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under.
Meanwhile, Marquette is 18-12 SU and 15-13-1 ATS. Of the Golden Eagles’ 28 games that accepted bets, 17 have finished over the O/U total.
Rowsey and Sam Hauser have been playing well over the last five games for Marquette. Rowsey has averaged 23.6 points and 6.6 assists per game. Not to be outdone, Hauser has put up 19.2 points and 6.6 rebounds a game during that span.
The two teams have split their two matchups this season. The Blue Demons won the most recent matchup 70-62, covering as 3-point underdogs. The game finished with a total of 132 points, which was 24.5 points below the projected point total of 156.5 points. The Blue Demons knocked down 23 of their 32 free throws (71.9 percent) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (44.2 vs. 16.7). Max Strus put up a double-double in the victory with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
DePaul Blue Demons vs. Marquette Golden Eagles Pick
Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Marquette, ATS Winner – DePaul, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Marquette ranks 21st in three pointers attempted per game (26.9) while DePaul ranks 279th in three pointers allowed per game (25.0).
The Golden Eagles rank 30th in assists per game (16.0) while the Blue Demons rank 236th in assists allowed per game (15.1).
DePaul ranks 73rd in rebounds per game (37.5) while Marquette ranks 256th (32.5).
The Golden Eagles rank 127th in steals per game (6.2) while the Blue Demons rank 199th in steals allowed per game (7.1).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, DePaul is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Marquette is 4-1 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Blue Demons’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 11.2, up from 1.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Golden Eagles have scored an average of 82.4 points per game (0.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 79.2 points per game (0.9 above their season average).
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