Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Xavier Musketeers

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Xavier(-2)
Game Total Line: (140.5)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

The No.11 seed Marquette Golden Eagles take on the No.6 seed Xavier Musketeers this upcoming Friday night in one of the premier East Region matchups of the second round of this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Tip-off from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland is set for 7:27 p.m. and the game will be broadcast nationally on truTV.

Marquette at one time was in the thick of the Big East regular season title race, but a couple bad losses down the stretch dropped it to 9-9 straight-up in conference play, resulting in it being the 11th seed for the Big East Tournament.

The Golden Eagles made a solid showing in the tournament with an 87-66 win over Providence as a seven-point favorite and an impressive 67-61 victory over West Virginia as a 2 ½-point underdog. The run ended with an 81-56 drubbing at the hands of Louisville as a 3 ½-point underdog in the quarterfinals. They come into this tournament at 20-14 SU overall and 16-12 against the spread.

If Marquette is going to make any kind of run in the NCAA’s as an 11th seed, it will need a tremendous effort from Jimmy Butler and Darius Johnson-Odom. Each is averaging around 16 points a game and Butler is averaging 6.1 rebounds. Jae Crowder is also a key contributor with 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds a game.

The Eagles are shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three-point range. They have struggled this season from the free-throw line; converting on just 69.1 percent of their attempts. Marquette is averaging 76 points a game and pulling down 36 rebounds.

Xavier comes into this tournament as the top team in the Atlantic 10 in the regular season with a stellar conference record of 15-1 SU. Its bid to add an A-10 Tournament Title as well fell short with a stunning 68-67 loss to Dayton as an eight-point favorite in the semifinals. None the less, this team’s overall body of work was good enough to secure a sixth seed in the East Region.

The Musketeers’ fortunes in this game rest mainly on the shoulders of Tu Holloway, who leads four players scoring in double-figures with an average of 20.2 points a game. He is also averaging 5.1 rebounds and a team-high 5.5 assists a game. He will be aided by Mark Lyons, who is second in scoring with 13.8 points a game, and Jamel McLean, who leads the team in rebounds with 8.4 a game.

Xavier is averaging 73 points and 35 rebounds a game. It is shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range. The Musketeers have been solid from the charity stripe this season; converting on 74.8 percent of their attempts.

Marquette is 2-3 ATS in its last five games on the road and 5-3 ATS in its last eight games overall. The total has stayed ‘under’ in seven of its last eight games.

Xavier is 5-0 ATS in its last five road games and 4-1 ATS in its last five games overall. The total has stayed ‘under’ in three of its last four games.

Against the Spread Game Pick

Both teams have the ability to play solid defense so the ‘under’ might be the best bet in a very tight matchup. The Golden Eagles have been battle-tested through a brutal Big East regular season schedule which ends up paying huge dividends in a close, hard-fought win over the Musketeers.
Take Marquette +2 at Beted where you can bet using your checking account!