The 4th-seeded UConn Huskies (25-7) and No. 1 Marquette Golden Eagles (26-6) clash in a Big East Tournament semifinal Friday in New York. The opening tip off at Madison Square Garden is set for 6:30 p.m. ET (FS1). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the UConn vs. Marquette odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
UConn defeated Providence 73-66 Thursday as a 5.5-point favorite. The No. 14 team in the nation has won 5 straight games and 8 of its last 9. The Huskies and Eagles split 2 games in the regular season. In Connecticut’s win (87-72 on Feb. 7), the Huskies went 12-of-23 from 3-point range.
Marquette, ranked 6th nationally, advanced to this semifinal with a 72-70 win over St. John’s Thursday, but failed to cover the 8.5-point spread. With a fine inside game and solid handles on the basketball, the Golden Eagles have gone 11-1 since Jan. 18.
Rankings courtesy the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
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UConn vs. Marquette odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:04 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Off the board
- Against the spread (ATS): UConn -3.5 (-110) | Marquette +3.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 147.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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UConn vs. Marquette picks and predictions
Prediction
UConn 74, Marquette 71
Moneyline
Not available.
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Against the spread
The last 6 games of this series have seen 5 Huskies’ wins ATS.
These are 2 similar teams, but UConn is on an impressive trend line. Its recent win over the Golden Eagles is compelling as is the nature of its wins of late. But the points and price here don’t make for any value.
STEER CLEAR.
Over/Under
Figure on an above-average-but-not-blistering pace. Add in plenty of 3s but not a slew of foul shots. UConn will get its 2nd-chance points, and Marquette will land some jabs in the turnover/transition game. But don’t expect the kind of overall shooting night to prop up this total.
BACK THE UNDER 147.5 (-110).
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