The No. 1 Villanova Wildcats (19-1, 6-1 Big East) visit BMO Harris Bradley Center to meet the Marquette Golden Eagles (13-7, 4-4 Big East). The Wildcats look to extend their six-game winning streak. The games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 161 points with Villanova set as an 8-point favorite. Action starts at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 28, 2018.
Villanova Wildcats vs. Marquette Golden Eagles ATS Preview
In the Wildcats last matchup, they had no trouble getting past the Providence Friars, 89-69. Eric Paschall was the top scorer from either team with 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting. The Wildcats had 10 steals and held the Friars to an effective field goal percentage of 0.435 (below their season average of 0.532).
The Golden Eagles are hoping for a better outcome after their 89-70 loss to the No. 11 Xavier Musketeers in their last game. Markus Howard was the top scorer from either team with 33 points on 14-for-27 shooting. Xavier’s turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over Marquette. The Musketeers had a rate of 10.1 (better than their season average of 15.6), while the Golden Eagles posted a mark of 15.7.
This showdown pits one of the nations top offenses against one of its elite defenses. Marquette ranks 19th in offensive efficiency and Villanova ranks 57th in defensive efficiency.
Of Villanova’s 19 games with betting action, 11 have finished over the O/U total, while 9 of Marquette’s 18 games have finished over the O/U total. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Wildcats have a substantial advantage. They are 19-1 SU and 14-6 ATS, while the Golden Eagles are 13-7 SU and 9-9-1 ATS.
Donte DiVincenzo has taken his game to another level over the last five games for Villanova, averaging 16.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
These teams have already met once this season. In that game, the two teams combined to put up 190 points, well over the projected point total of 162. The Wildcats won 100-90, but were unable to cover as 16-point favorites. The Wildcats played a nearly flawless game. They had an absurd free throw rate of 0.474 and a superb turnover percentage of 9.0. The Golden Eagles were 0.176 and 13.0, respectively, for those same stats. Despite the loss, Howard was the games leading scorer with 37 points.
Villanova Wildcats vs. Marquette Golden Eagles Odds Prediction
Basketball Tip: SU Winner – Villanova, ATS Winner – Marquette, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Wildcats rank 50th in steals per game (7.3) while the Golden Eagles rank 104th (6.5).
- Villanova ranks 53rd in blocks per game (4.3) while Marquette ranks 63rd in blocks allowed per game (2.9).
- Villanova is 10-3 ATS on the road with 7 overs and 6 unders.
- Marquette is 4-6-1 ATS at home with 7 unders and 3 overs.
- Villanova ranks 13th in assists per game (17.6) while Marquette ranks 201st in assists allowed per game (15.0).
- The Golden Eagles rank 12th in three pointers attempted per game (28.4) while the Wildcats rank 101st in three pointers allowed per game (20.9).
- Villanova ranks 150th in rebounds per game (35.5) while Marquette ranks 239th (32.6).
Betting Trends:
- Marquette is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Villanova is 4-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
- The Golden Eagles have been outscored by an average of 0.4 points in their last five games. On the season, Marquette has defeated opponents by an average of 6.1 points.
- During their last five games, the Wildcats have scored an average of 85.0 points per game (3.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 64.4 points per game (4.0 below their season average).
