The Harvard Crimson (18-13), 11.5-point underdogs, clash against the Marquette Golden Eagles (19-13) in the NIT at BMO Harris Bradley Center. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 147 points and it can be seen on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 14, 2018.
Harvard Crimson at Marquette Golden Eagles ATS Odds
Both teams fell in their last contest. The Golden Eagles got blown out by the second-ranked Villanova Wildcats, 94-70, while the Crimson lost a winnable game to the Penn Quakers, 68-65.
Harvard held Penn to an offensive rebounding percentage of 9.4 (below their season average of 24.5) while Marquette did a terrific job of making free throws (11-12; 91.7 percent). Markus Howard led the way for Marquette, finishing with 23 points. Meanwhile, Harvard was led by Seth Towns, who recorded 13 points and six rebounds.
This battle pits one of the NCAA’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses as Marquette ranks 19th in offensive efficiency and Harvard is 59th in defensive efficiency.
Of the Crimson’s 27 games that accepted bets, 15 have finished under the O/U total. Harvard heads into the contest with records of 18-13 straight up (SU) and 16-9-2 against the spread (ATS).
Contrary to Harvard, games including the Golden Eagles have typically finished over the projected point total (60.0 percent). Moreover, Marquette is 19-13 SU and 15-15-1 ATS.
The Crimson’s Seth Towns has been playing well over his last five games, averaging 17.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Andrew Rowsey has averaged 22.8 points and 6.0 assists during that same time frame for the Golden Eagles.
Harvard Crimson at Marquette Golden Eagles ATS Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Harvard, ATS Winner – Harvard, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Harvard ranks 83rd in assists allowed per game (12.4) while Marquette ranks 240th (15.0).
- The Crimson are 21st in the NCAA with 2.5 blocks allowed per game while the Golden Eagles are 56th with 2.8 blocks allowed per game.
- Marquette averages 6.2 steals per game, which ranks 135th in the nation. Harvard ranks 169th in steals allowed per game (6.6).
- The Golden Eagles average 26.7 three pointers per game, which ranks 23rd in the NCAA. The Crimson rank 147th in three pointers allowed per game (21.5).
- Harvard ranks 174th in rebounds per game (34.8) while Marquette ranks 285th (32.2).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Golden Eagles have scored an average of 75.8 points per game (5.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 80.0 points per game (1.5 above their season average).
- The Crimson’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 8.4, up from 1.9 for the season.
