Bettors have been favoring the Xavier Musketeers in this East region battle against the Marquette Golden Eagles and the majority of brackets have Xavier there too.
So why the nervousness that Marquette can pull the upset here as the 11 seed?
The Musketeers are 24-7 overall on the year and will get high-tempo, high-quality play from guard Tu Holloway. The Golden Eagles are 20-14 and 16-10 ATS on the season. The total has been bet steadily upwards, indicating bettors think there could be a lot of scoring here (it's at 14 at Sportsbook which is the best OVER line).
View Marquette vs Xavier Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
If you're backing the visitors in this one, you'll find the Golden Eagles listed as 1.5-point underdogs. The total opened at 138.5.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Musketeers sit at No. 33 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Golden Eagles sit at No. 85 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Musketeers will win this game 79-78.
How They Match Up:
Scoring and defensive stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Xavier's No. 74-ranked scoring average of 72.6 PPG, against a Golden Eagles defense rated No. 213 and allowing 69.1 PPG. The Musketeers FG% has averaged 46.3% to date this season, less than the Golden Eagles shooters have managed so far (46.8% per game).
Defensively, Marquette features the nation's No. 224-rated defense on the road, allowing 72.6 points per game. Xavier, meanwhile, comes in at No. 57 nationally in scoring at home.
Last time out for Marquette, they were an 81-56 loser as they battled Louisville. They failed to cover in the match as a 3.5-point underdog.
Last time out for Xavier, they were a 68-67 loser as they battled Dayton. They failed to cover in the match as a 7.5-point favorite.
Marquette Golden Eagles Trends:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
After playing Louisville are 6-4
After a loss are 7-3
Xavier Musketeers Trends:
When playing on Friday are 8-2
After playing Dayton are 6-4
After a loss are 9-1
A few Golden Eagles at Musketeers trends to consider:
Xavier is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Xavier's last 9 games
