Marquette vs Villanova Odds
| Marquette Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
+1.5 -105 | 143.5 -110o / -110u | +110 |
| Villanova Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
-1.5 -115 | 143.5 -110o / -110u | -135 |
Editor's Note: Kam Jones (ankle) is out for Marquette vs. Villanova
The Big East is having a resurgent season and the storylines have caught plenty of national attention. Ed Cooley returning to his former stomping guards has generated a ton of pub, but there are plenty of on-court situations also worth discussing.
One of these is Villanova's continued struggles in the post-Jay Wright world. Kyle Neptune has the Wildcats on track to miss back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time in a long time. Winning against Marquette could change things, though.
Marquette Golden Eagles
Marquette has finally found its footing, won four consecutive games and re-established itseld as the next-best Big East team — besides UConn. The Golden Eagles' offense had some struggles in the early part of conference play, but is back on track.
In the four-game winning streak, big-man Oso Ighodaro has completely dominated — scoring 17+ points in all four games and adding four assists in three of the four. Marquette's offense is great when Ighodaro and Tyler Kolek have a clean line of communication in the pick-and-roll game.
Kolek is one of the best point guards in college basketball. The 6-foot-3 point guard averages 14 points and seven assists per game and is shooting a reasonable 35% from 3. Kolek is the engine of Marquette's offense and dictates whether the team succeeds or fails. He's that valuable.
The good part? Marquette's heavy pick-and-roll scheme shredded Villanova's defense in its previous meeting in Milwaukee. Marquette scored over 1.30 points per possession and shot 75% from 2-point range. The Wildcats had zero answers for Marquette's offense, so adjustments will need to be made.
Additionally, Marquette discovered some of the defensive elements Shaka Smart won with during his days at VCU. The Golden Eagles rank 14th nationally in defensive efficiency. Marquette is also forcing turnovers on 23% of its defensive possessions, which ranks seventh nationally.
Villanova Wildcats
Villanova has lost four of its five past games, which put its NCAA Tournament hopes on life support.
The Wildcats' offense just doesn't have the same flow without coach Wright running the show. Villanova attempts 3s often (47% of field goals), but only hits on 32% of them.
Big man Eric Dixon is really the only consistent offensive player on Villanova's roster. He's averaging over 15 points per game, and Neptune draws up most of the crunch-time plays for him. Seeing a 6-foot-10, 245-pound lefty come off screens and drill 3s is fun, but it shouldn't be the only consistent source of offense.
Inconsistency from Justin Moore, who has been up and down since coming off an Achilles that seemingly zapped some of his quickness and shooting prowess, has been an issue for the offense. Moore is shooting a career-worst 26% from 3 and still shoots five 3s per game.
The offense's other issue is the lack of an actual point guard as nobody on Villanova averages more than two assists per game. Part of the lack of assists comes from the frequent isolation plays. There aren't assists to get when the floor is spread, which creates one-on-one scoring opportunities, though the scoring is inconsistent. It has to get better if Villanova wants to make the NCAA Tournament.
Marquette vs. Villanova
Betting Pick & Prediction
I set my personal line at Marquette -2, so there's some legitimate value in Marquette at PK. Marquette is a nightmare matchup for a struggling Villanova team, even on the road. Take the road team with some value here.
