A shootout should be expected when the Marquette Golden Eagles (13-8, 4-5 Big East) and the Butler Bulldogs (15-7, 5-4 Big East) go head-to-head at BMO Harris Bradley Center. The game gets underway at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 155 points with Marquette set as a 3-point favorite.
Butler Bulldogs vs. Marquette Golden Eagles ATS Prediction
The Bulldogs come in on a high note after blowing out the St. John’s Red Storm in their last game, 70-45. The Bulldogs knocked down 14 of their 19 free throws (73.7 percent) and held the Red Storm to an effective field goal percentage of 0.336 (below their season average of 0.482). Butler was led by Kamar Baldwin, who put up 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
In the Golden Eagles’ last matchup, they lost a tough one against the No. 1 Villanova Wildcats, 85-82. Villanova’s free throw rate was their biggest strength over Marquette. The Wildcats had a rate of 0.317 (above their season average of 0.230), while the Golden Eagles posted a mark of 0.148 (below their season average of 0.235). Marquette’s Andrew Rowsey had a solid game, leading the team in scoring with 29 points on 8-for-16 shooting.
The high-powered offense of Marquette (17th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 116.9) will clash against the mid-tier defense of Butler (134th in the NCAA with a defensive efficiency of 101.0). The Golden Eagles should have the advantage on that side of the ball.
Butler comes into the contest with records of 15-7 straight up (SU) and 11-10 against the spread (ATS). Vegas is known to place the total low when the Bulldogs are involved, as 57.1 percent of their games have gone over the total.
Meanwhile, Marquette owns records of 13-8 SU and 10-9-1 ATS. Golden Eagles games have gone over the O/U total 52.6 percent of the time.
Baldwin has averaged 18.2 points and 7.0 rebounds over the last five games for Butler.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Kelan Martin scored a game-high 37 points and the Bulldogs beat the Golden Eagles 94-83, covering as 5-point favorites. He also recorded seven rebounds. The game finished with a total of 177 points, which was 20 points above the projected point total of 157 points. Butler had a much better turnover percentage (4.1 vs. 13.1). Marquette, meanwhile, did a great job of converting from the charity stripe (17-21; 81.0 percent).
Butler Bulldogs vs. Marquette Golden Eagles ATS Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Butler, ATS Winner – Butler, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Butler is 2-8 ATS on the road with 7 unders and 3 overs.
Marquette is 5-6-1 ATS at home with 7 unders and 4 overs.
Marquette ranks 16th in three pointers attempted per game (28.1) while Butler ranks 134th (22.2).
The Bulldogs rank 169th in rebounds per game (35.3) while the Golden Eagles rank 257th (32.5).
Marquette ranks 40th in assists per game (16.2) while Butler ranks 119th (14.2).
The Bulldogs are 23rd in the NCAA with 5.0 steals allowed per game while the Golden Eagles are 52nd with 5.5 steals allowed per game.
Marquette ranks 71st in blocks per game (4.0) while Butler ranks 95th in blocks allowed per game (3.4).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Butler is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Marquette is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Bulldogs’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.4, down from 8.2 for the season.
During their last five games, the Golden Eagles have scored an average of 77.8 points per game (4.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 76.8 points per game (0.0 above their season average).
