Villanova (19-4) at Marquette (19-4)
When: Saturday, February 9th, 2019
Where: Fiserv Forum,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Time: 2:30 ET | TV: FOX
Opening Odds: Marquette -1/144
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As a whole, the Big East Conference is certainly not having one of their best seasons, but do have two teams who are more than capable of making a run this coming March. The Villanova Wildcats visit the Marquette Golden Eagles for the first of two meetings this month between the top two teams in a conference that has three games separating the second and third place teams. Marquette may have been looking ahead to this key Saturday matchup when they suffered their first home setback of the season on Tuesday, 70-69 to St. John’s. The Eagles had won eight straight before that loss including impressive road wins at Xavier, Butler, Creighton, and Georgetown. In fact, half of Marquette’s losses this season have been to the Red Storm. Villanova got off to a sluggish start to the season, but have put things together with wins in each of their last 11 games and are a perfect 10-0 in Big East play after a win over Creighton on Wednesday. The Wildcats took both meetings with the Golden Eagles last season.
The Wildcats will need leading scorer Phil Booth (18.3 points) to break out of his mini-slump versus Marquette, as he’s just 10-of-32 from the field (3-of-15 from 3-point range) in the last two games. Freshman Saddiq Bey led the way against Creighton with a career-high 17 points for his fourth double-digit scoring performance in the last five games. Guard Collin Gillespie (12.1 points) is hitting 41.8 percent of his three-point attempts and has turned the ball over just once in the last 105 minutes of action.
Markus Howard (24.6 points) is the clear leader of this team and probably wouldn’t be ranked without him. He leads the Eagles in points, assists, and steals and will probably be a first-team All-American. Sam Hauser stepped up in the last game with Howard struggling a bit and scored 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. The Golden Eagles are 15th in the country in long range shooting, hitting 39.5 percent of their 3’s and are eighth in free throw percentage as well (77.0).
Forget what Marquette did against St. John’s – they were clearly looking ahead. This is a terrific offensive team that also does quite well on defense. Not only are the Golden Eagles 14-1 at home, but are 11-4 ATS as well and have covered three of the last four meetings versus Villanova. This is going to be a terrific game.
Pick: Marquette -1.5
- Wildcats are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Saturday games.
- Wildcats are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. Big East.
- Wildcats are 38-14 ATS in their last 52 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Wildcats are 38-15 ATS in their last 53 games following a straight up win.
- Wildcats are 43-18-1 ATS in their last 62 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Wildcats are 44-19 ATS in their last 63 games following a ATS loss.
- Wildcats are 41-18 ATS in their last 59 games overall.
- Wildcats are 36-16 ATS in their last 52 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Wildcats are 41-19-1 ATS in their last 61 road games.
- Wildcats are 34-16-1 ATS in their last 51 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Golden Eagles are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS loss.
- Golden Eagles are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Golden Eagles are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Golden Eagles are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
- Golden Eagles are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. Big East.
- Golden Eagles are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games.
- Golden Eagles are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Golden Eagles are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Saturday games.
- Golden Eagles are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Under is 3-0-1 in Wildcats last 4 Saturday games.
- Over is 5-1-1 in Wildcats last 7 road games.
- Under is 5-1-1 in Wildcats last 7 games following a ATS loss.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Wildcats last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Wildcats last 6 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Over is 16-5 in Wildcats last 21 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 11-4-2 in Wildcats last 17 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Under is 15-6-2 in Wildcats last 23 overall.
- Under is 4-0-1 in Golden Eagles last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Under is 5-0-1 in Golden Eagles last 6 home games.
- Under is 4-0 in Golden Eagles last 4 games following a straight up loss.
- Under is 6-1 in Golden Eagles last 7 games following a ATS loss.
- Over is 6-1 in Golden Eagles last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 5-1-1 in Golden Eagles last 7 overall.
- Under is 5-1-1 in Golden Eagles last 7 vs. Big East.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Golden Eagles last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.
- Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Marquette.
- Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
- Wildcats are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Marquette.
- Favorite is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings.
- Wildcats are 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings.
