The Wisconsin Badgers (3-0) stay in state for a non-conference meeting against the Marquette Golden Eagles (2-1) Friday at Fiserv Forum. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Wisconsin-Marquette college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
USA TODAY Sports ranked the Badgers No. 7 in the preseason Men’s Basketball Poll.
Wisconsin at Marquette: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 1 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Wisconsin -190 (bet $190 to win $100) | Marquette +155 (bet $100 to win $155)
- Against the spread/ATS: Wisconsin -4 (-110) | Marquette +4 (-110)
- Over/Under: 133.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Wisconsin at Marquette: Three things to know
- Wisconsin blew the doors off of Green Bay 82-42 giving the Badgers their first cover of the season (25.5-point favorites). The Badgers defense has been relentless inside the arc, ranking 7th in 2-point percentage and leading the country in blocks per game (8.0).
- Marquette was flummoxed by Oklahoma State’s zone defense in a 70-62 loss in its previous outing. The Golden Eagles shot poorly from everywhere on the court vs. the Cowboys: 34% from the field, 28% 3-point shooting and 67% from the free-throw line.
- Marquette was trounced 77-61 at Wisconsin as 2-point favorites last season. This intrastate rivalry has been competitive recently. The Golden Eagles have won the previous two games and the head-to-head series is split 5-5 over the past 10 meetings.
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Wisconsin at Marquette: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Wisconsin 68, Marquette 60
Money line (ML)
PASS ON THE MONEY LINE. I am backing Wisconsin in this spot but these teams are 5-5 over their past 10 head-to-head meetings so Marquette winning wouldn’t be a shock. Wisconsin at -190 is too expensive for me.
Against the spread (ATS)
After seeing what Oklahoma State’s zone did against Marquette and given how poorly the Golden Eagles shoot from deep, I “LIKE” WISCONSIN -4 (-110) for 1 unit.
Marquette needs to make 3s if it wants to keep it close because Wisconsin’s two bigs (Cs Micah Potter and Nate Reuvers) are closing off the paint. The Golden Eagles got smoked in last year’s meeting despite shooting 47% from three and playing against a Badgers team that struggled in the early part of last season.
This is the best the Wisconsin basketball program has looked in head coach Greg Gard’s fifth full season and it’ll get past a Marquette team it’s familiar with.
Over/Under (O/U)
It’s only the first few games of the season for each team but both markedly improved their defense year over year. Marquette went from mediocre to very good in defensive efficiency and Wisconsin has gone from elite to even more elite defensively.
Both teams are holding opponents to fewer than 60 points per game as Marquette is 12th in opponent field-goal shooting and Wisconsin is 15th. Also, the Badgers like to grind teams down and have one of the slowest paces in the country.
Lastly, the market has taken the Under from 138 to its current price. I am not crazy about being this late to the party but let’s follow the money and TAKE UNDER 133.5 (-105) for 1 unit.
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