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The No. 9 Marquette Golden Eagles (10-2, 1-0 Big East) face the Xavier Musketeers (8-4, 0-1) Saturday. Tip-off from Cintas Center in Cincinnati is set for noon ET (FOX). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s college basketball odds around the Marquette vs. Xavier odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
Marquette kicked off Big East play with an 80-70 victory over Butler Wednesday but fell short of covering as a 14.5-point home favorite. The Over (148.5) hit, and the Golden Eagles showcased impressive ball control with only 2 turnovers, their lowest mark since Jan. 8, 2011, according to Elias Sports. G Kam Jones led the way, filling the stat sheet with 23 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in the win vs. Butler.
Xavier suffered its second consecutive loss — both to ranked opponents — falling 94-89 in overtime at No. 13 UConn Wednesday and 68-65 at No. 20 Cincinnati Dec. 14. However, the Musketeers covered the spread in both losses — as 13.5-point underdogs at UConn and as 8-point ‘dogs at Cincy. The O/U lines was 146.5 in both games. Against UConn, G Ryan Conwell scored a game-high 23 points, while G Dante Maddox Jr. came off the bench to add 22 points.
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Marquette at Xavier odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of college basketball odds. Lines last updated at 6:07 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Marquette -225 (bet $225 to win $100) | Xavier +185 (bet $100 to win $185)
- Against the spread (ATS): Marquette -5.5 (-110) | Xavier +5.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 154.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Marquette at Xavier picks and predictions
Prediction
Marquette 82, Xavier 75
Moneyline
PASS.
Marquette will win this game Saturday afternoon, but the -225 price is too costly, so I’ll take my wager to the spread.
Against the spread
BET MARQUETTE -5.5 (-110).
Marquette has dominated this series recently, winning the last 4 meetings vs. Xavier and covering the spread in the last 3. The Golden Eagles’ most recent victory vs. the Muskies was last March 9, an 86-80 triumph as 3.5-point road favorites.
Xavier has also struggled against top competition, losing each of its last 13 games against AP-ranked opponents, dating back to the 2023 Big East Tournament.
The Golden Eagles have proven their mettle with a tough recent stretch, losing to No. 3 Iowa State and No. 24 Dayton and beating then-No. 11 Wisconsin and Butler in their last 4 games.
This game will likely be decided in the paint, where Marquette has the edge. The Golden Eagles out-rebounded Butler 38-27 in their last game, showcasing their physicality. On the other hand, Xavier was outmuscled on the boards 35-27 in its loss to UConn, highlighting a potential weakness.
I dig the GOLDEN EAGLES -5.5 (-110) to steal this game on the road.
Over/Under
BET OVER 154.5 (-110).
The trends point toward the Under, as 5 of the last 6 head-to-head matchups have gone that route.
However, this season is different. Xavier averages 80.4 points per game (PPG), while Marquette scores 81.4 PPG. The Musketeers lead the Big East in 3-point shooting at 40.7%, which ranks ninth in the country according to NCAA.com. Xavier struggles defensively in that department, allowing opponents to hit 35.2% from beyond the arc.
With both teams capable of explosive offense, this game could turn into a shootout.
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