An 11-game home winning streak is on the line for the 16th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles (11-3, 0-1 Big East) when they square off with the Xavier Musketeers (9-6, 1-1 Big East) at Fiserv Forum. Action gets underway at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 6, 2019.
Xavier Musketeers at Marquette Golden Eagles ATS Odds
Both teams were triumphant in their last game. The Golden Eagles easily got past the UMBC Retrievers 67-42, while the Musketeers were victorious over the IUPUI Jaguars 82-69.
Xavier played a nearly flawless game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 32.5 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.538. For those same stats, IUPUI was 23.1 and 0.438, respectively. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.467 vs. 0.274) and had a better free throw rate (0.183 vs. 0.129). Markus Howard played a key role for Marquette with 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Meanwhile, Ryan Welage had a good outing for Xavier, putting up 24 points and seven rebounds.
The Musketeers dominated this series last year, taking both games. In the last game, Xavier won 89-70. The Musketeers’ 10.1 turnover percentage was their largest advantage over the Golden Eagles, who had a mark of 15.7. This is the first time these teams will battle this year.
Sam Hauser and Howard have played well over the last five games for Marquette. Hauser has averaged 0 points, while Howard has recorded 0 points a game during that span.
This contest should be a showdown of contrasting styles. Marquette prefers an up-and-down style of play (84th in possessions per game), while Xavier likes to grind-it-out (266th in possessions per game).
Xavier Musketeers vs. Marquette Golden Eagles Betting Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Marquette, ATS Winner – Marquette, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Marquette averages 24.4 three pointers per game, which ranks 91st in the NCAA. Xavier ranks 202nd in three pointers allowed per game (24.9).
- The Musketeers average 6.7 steals per game, which ranks 97th in the nation. The Golden Eagles rank 157th in steals allowed per game (7.7).
- Marquette ranks 41st in blocks per game (4.5) while Xavier ranks 86th (3.5).
- The Golden Eagles rank 18th in rebounds per game (41.1) while the Musketeers rank 129th (36.4).
- Marquette averages 14.6 assists per game, which ranks 96th in the NCAA. Xavier ranks 177th in assists allowed per game (14.6).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Musketeers have scored an average of 78.8 points per game (3.8 above their season average) and allowed an average of 79.6 points per game (8.9 above their season average).
- The Golden Eagles’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 9.0, down from 11.4 for the season.
