Golden Eagles vs. Musketeers Prediction
The 12th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles have posted six straight Big East Conference wins after opening league play with a loss. Will Marquette keep it rolling today when it travels to play the Xavier Musketeers?
Game Snapshot
631 Marquette Golden Eagles at 632 Xavier Musketeers
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Cintas Center at 2PM ET
TV: FS1
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Golden Eagles are a 2.5-point favorite on the spread line. The total sits at 144.5 points. As of Saturday morning, 81 percent of public bets are being placed on visiting Marquette. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest information.
Howard perfect at free throw line in win
Marquette star guard Markus Howard did most of his damage at the free throw line Wednesday night in a 79-69 home win over DePaul as he went 15-of-15 from the charity stripe to go with 4-of-10 shooting from the floor for 23 points. He also notched nine assists and three rebounds. Sam Hauser contributed 19 points, six boards and two steals. Theo John accounted for 16 points, 10 caroms and six blocked shots. Joey Hauser added 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Marquette shot 22-of-52 from the field, 7-of-17 from 3-point distance and 28-of-32 from the free throw line. The Golden Eagles ran out to a 40-27 halftime advantage on its way to the win.
Musketeers edged by Friars
Xavier suffered a 64-62 home loss to Providence Wednesday night to drop to 11-9 overall and 3-4 in Big East play. The Musketeers trailed 33-26 at halftime and were unable to bounce back. Xavier shot 25-of-52 from the field, 6-of-17 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Paul Scruggs led the way with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting including 2-of-6 from 3-point distance plus 2-of-2 at the free throw line. He added four assists, three steals and two rebounds. Zach Hankins tallied 12 points along with three boards and two blocked shots. Tyrique Jones added 12 points and seven rebounds.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Marquette
The Golden Eagles are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall. Marquette is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games after a straight up win.
Xavier
The Musketeers are 4-9-3 ATS in their last 16 home games. Xavier is 6-14-3 ATS in its last 23 games overall.
Prediction:
Marquette is enjoying a fantastic season and could be overachieving somewhat, but with a standout like Howard plus a solid complimentary core it’s easy to see why the Golden Eagles are enjoying success. Xavier is not strong on the defensive end, but do have a solid offense and being at home should help here. The home crowd should be engaged as their team tries to take down a ranked team. Overall, the Musketeers have been pretty good at home this season with a 9-3 straight up record. I think Xavier is going to cover the spread today and perhaps even pull off the upset.
NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: XAVIER MUSKETEERS +2.5