Check out our free Villanova vs Marquette pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Milwaukee. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Villanova vs Marquette Pick & Preview: Wednesday, February 1st Betting Odds
Wildcats vs Golden Eagles Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Villanova Wildcats at Marquette Golden Eagles
- Where: Milwaukee at Fiserv Forum
- Date: Wednesday, February 1st
- Betting Odds: Villanova +7, VILL +245 | MARQ -316 O/U 144.5
Wildcats Preview:
Villanova heads into this matchup having played 21 games and have an overall record sitting at 10-11. On the road, the Wildcats will be playing their 10th game of the season, having gone 4-6. So far, the Wildcats have been the underdog 4 times, going 1-3 straight up. Heading into today’s contest, they are the +7 underdogs on the spread.
Villanova will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Caleb Daniels who is averaging 16.29 points per game for the Wildcats. Daniels is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Wildcats’ offensive game plan is the play of Eric Dixon who has hit 50.4% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 15.71 points per game.
Coming into today’s game, Villanova will be looking from some improved play from their offense. Currently, the Wildcats are ranked 158th at 72.6 points per game. A major reason for their low scoring mumbers is the fact that they tend to work the clock on offense. This year, they are the 662nd ranked team in terms of pace. When looking at their 3-point shooting numbers, Villanova is close to the NCAA average at 35.9%.
Golden Eagles Preview:
Marquette will take the floor against the Wildcats with an overall record of 17-5. So far this season, Marquette has played 13 games at home, sitting with a record of 12-1. The Golden Eagles’ are sitting with a betting line that is -7 points in their favor. For the season, Marquette has been favored to win in 15 games, sitting with a mark of 14-1.
Before getting a wager down on this game, keep a close eye on the injury report before tip-off, as the Golden Eagles’ top scorer Kam Jones is listed as questionable. In his 22 games, he is averaging 15.95 points per game while providing the team with an outside shooting threat. If he is unable to play, the team will be losing their top outside shooter. Without Kam Jones out of the lineup, Olivier-Maxence Prosper is going to need to take on a bigger role. Currently, he is 2nd on the team at 14.0 points per contest to go along with 4.77 rebounds and 0.59 assists.
On offense, Marquette is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 74.4 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 22 games, they have only hit 34.7% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 41.75% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Free Spread Prediction: Villanova Wildcats +7
Heading into this matchup between the Marquette Golden Eagles and Villanova Wildcats we have a strong lean on taking the points with Villanova at +7. Both team’s are going to come into this game looking to get up looks from outside, as they are both average team’s in terms of 3-pointers made per game. Look for Villanova to benefit from facing another squad looking to turn this into a 3-point shooting contest. When looking at the line, we see tremendous value in taking the Villanova Wildcats at +7. Go ahead and lock this bet in before tip-off.
