The No. 1 Villanova Wildcats are not in a pretty good situation right now. While they have won all of their last six games, they are going to be without a key player for quite some time. Villanova will also have a tough team to face ahead in the form of the Marquette Golden Eagles. Will the Wildcats survive Marquette? Or will the Golden Eagles capitalize on the Wildcats’ shorthanded roster? Register to bet and wager with your pick.
Betting Preview for the Villanova Wildcats vs Marquette Golden Eagles NCAA Basketball Game on January 28, 2018
Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center
When: Sunday, January 28, 2018, 1:00 PM EST
Line: Villanova Wildcats (n/a) vs Marquette Golden Eagles (n/a) –view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: Fox
Betting on the Villanova Wildcats (19-1)
No. 1 Villanova extended its unbeaten run to six games by taking down the Providence Friars on Tuesday, 89-69, but the Wildcats found it hard to fully celebrate their victory. According to Jeff Goodman of ESPN, Villanova has lost starting guard Phil Booth to a broken hand, during the win over Providence. Booth’s loss tough for the Wildcats, as the junior is averaging 11.6 points and 3.2 assists per game on the year. This also means increased workload on the plates of Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, who lead the team with 18.8 points and 16.7 points per game. Brunson scored 27 points while Bridges had 18 markers in a 100-90 win over the Golden Eagles at home on Jan. 6. Villanova’s offense is fourth in the nation with 88.0 points per contests, but the Wildcats are still well-equipped to survive a team like Marquette, which parades the worst defense in the Big East, one that allows 75.7 points per game. Villanova is 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last three meetings with Marquette dating back to 2014.
Betting on the Marquette Golden Eagles (13-7)
Based on their previous loss to Villanova, the Golden Eagles seem to capable of engaging the Wildcats in a shootout. In that loss, Markus Howard also showed that not even Villanova’s elite defense could stop him. Howard, the Big East’s leading scorer, dropped 37 points on the Wildcats in the first meeting, going 13-for-27 from the field and 5-for-13 from the three-point region. He also had eight assists and four rebounds in a terrific all-around effort, albeit in a loss. Villanova is only allowing 68.5 points per game, but its shorter rotation because of Booth’s absence could prevent the Wildcats from showing up with their usual intensity on defense. That is not an ideal situation for Jay Wright’s team, especially against the Golden Eagles, who are pounding out 83.1 points per game. Marquette is also a deadly outside sniping team with 11.6 three-pointers per outing, which is third best in the nation. The Golden Eagles are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games as the home team.
Writer’s Prediction:
Marquette trips up Villanova with a huge 86-81 upset victory.
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