The Big East’s top team will be at home when the No. 6 Xavier Musketeers (20-2) welcome the Marquette Golden Eagles (15-8) to Cintas Center. Action begins at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 6 and can be seen on FS1.
The Musketeers enter this game hoping for similar success after topping St. John’s 90-83 on Wednesday. Myles Davis was the team’s leading scorer with 16 points on 4-for-7 shooting. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 79-62 loss against Seton Hall on Wednesday. JaJuan Johnson had a good game for Marquette, registering 15 points, four rebounds, and two steals.
Xavier could dominate the offensive glass in this matchup, as it’s ranked 20th in the nation in OR% at 37.5%. Alternatively, Marquette ranks 268th in the nation on the defensive backboards with a DR% of 68.3%.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Musketeers winning the first matchup 74-66. James Farr put up a double-double in the victory with 16 points and 19 rebounds.
The Musketeers have gone 20-2 Straight Up (SU) and 14-8 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. The Musketeers have no trouble scoring as they rank 31st in the nation in offense with 80.4 points per game. The Musketeers are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .738 from the free throw line. The rebounding edge goes to the Musketeers in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 41.8 boards per game. Xavier’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation. The Musketeers allow a .305 opponent three-point field goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the nation.
In the other locker room, the Golden Eagles have been a poor bet so far, with a disappointing record of 8-14 ATS. Their SU record, 15-8, hasn’t been quite as bad. The Golden Eagles are an unselfish team with an average of 16.4 assists per game, ranking 30th in Division I. Moving on to the Marquette defense, the Golden Eagles have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the nation at .402. Teams with weak ball handling have not fared well against the Golden Eagles, who rank 39th in the nation with 7.9 steals per game.
With the Musketeers’ last win against Marquette, their SU record is now 5-3 over Marquette in their most recent games. The teams are even ATS, with a 4-4 record. Xavier held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times, while Marquette was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Xavier, ATS Winner – Xavier
Notes
“Xavier is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games “.
“Xavier is 20-2 SU in its last 22 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Xavier’s last 5 games “.
“Xavier is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games at home”.
“Xavier is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Xavier’s last 5 games at home”.
“Xavier is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Marquette”.
“Xavier is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Marquette”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Xavier’s last 5 games when playing Marquette”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Xavier’s last 5 games when playing at home against Marquette”.
Xavier averages 80.4 points per game (ranked 31st). Marquette, on the other hand, allows 70.7 points per game (ranked 132nd).
Xavier averages 81.1 points per home game (ranked 60th). Marquette allows 72.4 points per away game (ranked 92nd).
The Xavier Musketeers rank 35th for their offensive rating of 113.9. The Marquette Golden Eagles have a defensive rating of 97.2 (ranked 57th).
The Marquette Golden Eagles average 72.6 possessions per game and 1.032 points per possession. The Xavier Musketeers earn fewer possessions with 70.6, but they score more points with 1.139.
The Marquette Golden Eagles average an effective field goal percentage of 51.2% this season. The Xavier Musketeers have split their games this season (2-2) when opponents have an eFG% of 51.2% or greater.
On average, the Xavier Musketeers attempt 20.0 three point field goals per game and the Marquette Golden Eagles attempt 18.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Xavier has an exceptional 14-1 record, while Marquette is 5-4.
Xavier ranks 75th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.23. Marquette is ranked lower at 160th with an A/TO of 1.08.
Ranked 13th in the nation, Xavier averages 41.8 rebounds per game. Marquette ranks lower at 125th with 37.4 RPG.
Marquette ranks 246th in offensive rebounds, while Xavier ranks at 26th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Xavier forces a turnover rate of 19.9%. When Marquette turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 10-5 record.
