Markus Howard of the Marquette Golden Eagles can explode on any given night against any given team. His scoring prowess will be put to the test anew when Marquette takes on the Butler Bulldogs, who has one of the best defenses in the nation — at least on paper. Marquette and Butler are +7000 and +1000 to win the national title, respectively.
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Betting Preview for the Marquette Golden Eagles vs Butler Bulldogs NCAA College Basketball Game on January 24 2020
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
When: Friday, January 24, 2020, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Marquette Golden Eagles (Odds) vs. Butler Bulldogs (Odds) – view all 2020 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Marquette Golden Eagles (13-5 Overall / 3-3 Conference)
There aren’t a lot of players more entertaining to watch in the college ranks today than Marquette guard Markus Howard. The senior guard is a bucket-getter in the truest sense of the term. Howard is leading the entire nation with 28.2 points per game. Even though he only stands 5-11, Howard can get his baskets from anywhere on the floor, and is in fact shooting 43.1 percent from behind the arc, as of this writing. In Marquette’s 84-80 win over the Georgetown Hoyas on the road last Saturday, Howard dropped 42 points with six 3-pointers. Before that, Howard wrecked the Xavier Musketeers’ defense for 35 points in an 85-65 win at home. Although a proven lethal scorer, Marquette can’t just let Howard do it all because he is not going to be a Messiah for the Golden Eagles, who are averaging 77.6 points per game. Marquette likes to make it rain from deep, ranking fifth in the nation with a 39.7 percent 3-point shooting while making 9.9 threes per contest –11th overall.
The over is 4-1 in the Golden Eagles’ last five road games.
Betting on the Butler Bulldogs (15-3 Overall / 3-2 Conference)
The Bulldogs are on a funk all of a sudden. Butler lost to No. 18 Seton Hall Pirates at home last week, 78-70, and failed to rebound right away, taking a 79-66 upset loss at the hands of the DePaul Blue Demons on the road last Saturday. The Bulldogs are having trouble with their shooting touch. They shot just 42.1 percent from the field against Seton Hall and just 41.5 percent in the DePaul game. The Bulldogs should recover their usual form on offense sooner than later. On the season, Butler is 26th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency per KenPom and 24th with a 47.1 field goal shooting percentage. The Bulldogs’ defense, meanwhile, has seen the more notably drop in form of late. The Bulldogs are third in the nation with just 57.1 points allowed per game, but has let their last two opponents put up at least 78 points. Butler thrives on slow-grind games, which is not exactly what Marquette prefers, as the Golden Eagles want to take as many shots as possible, especially with Howard on their team. Butler is 325th nationally in adjusted tempo, per KenPom.
The Bulldogs are 6-4 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Butler wins, 74-70.
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