The No. 12 Texas Longhorns take on the No. 8 Marquette Eagles on Wednesday, December 6. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET from Milwaukee.
Texas (6-1, 0-0 Big 12) bounced back from a loss to UConn with dominant wins over Wyoming and Texas State. The Longhorns head north after a three-game home stretch. They currently rank 30th at KenPom and 19th in the nation in field goal percentage. In their sole loss this season, the difference came at the rim — they were out-rebounded by double digits in the 81-71 loss to the Huskies, and will need to address that as they face the Golden Eagles on Wednesday.
Marquette (6-2, 0-0 Big East) suffered a tough loss to in-state rival Wisconsin in their latest game, falling 75-64. They also have a loss to Purdue on their resume, but have been able to beat Illinois and Kansas in a challenging slate to start the season. The Golden Eagles rank sixth overall at KenPom, and they excel at ball protection. They rank sixth in the nation in turnover margin and 10th in least turnovers per game. The difference in each of their two losses so far this season was also rebounding, as the Badgers and Boilermakers beat them at the boards.
It may come down to who wins in the paint. With the fairly wide spread here, I’m taking the Longhorns to cover. While I think Marquette will come out on top in this matchup, these teams are evenly matched enough that Texas can keep it close.
Texas vs. Marquette Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Marquette -8.5
Total: 150.5
Moneyline: Marquette -360, Texas +285