The No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles take on the No. 15 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET on Friday, March 22, and the game will air on TBS.
2024 March Madness picks
No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 15 Western Kentucky best bet
Marquette (25-9, 14-6 Big East) finished their season as the runners-up in the Big East tournament, falling to UConn for the third time this year in the title game. The Golden Eagles played the entire conference tournament without Tyler Kolek, who leads the team in assists and scores the second-most points per game. Kolek has been dealing with an oblique injury over the last few weeks that has kept him sidelined, although head coach Shaka Smart expects him to return for the NCAA Tournament.
The Golden Eagles shot 47.8% from the field this season, ranking 25th in the nation, and shot 56% from the two-point range. They rank in the top 20 in assist/turnover ratio. Marquette was the clear third in the Big East this season behind Creighton and UConn, though, going 1-3 against the top two teams. This may not be a great sign for a team that is attempting to reach the second weekend of the tournament for the first time since 2013.
Western Kentucky (22-11, 8-8 CUSA) won Conference USA’s automatic bid after making a tournament run as the No. 3 seed. The Hilltoppers have not been to March Madness in over a decade, but this year’s squad plays with an offensive style that could threaten higher-seeded teams. The Hilltoppers have the highest adjusted tempo in the nation with 77.3 possessions per game. With this high pace, they could go up early as Marquette adjusts to the tempo and force the Golden Eagles to come from behind.
Guard Don McHenry leads a team that averages 79.1 points per game, ranking 39th in the nation. The Hilltoppers also grab 39 rebounds per game, ranking 29th in the country. They rank 132nd at KenPom.
Betting lines
Friday odds
Spread: Marquette -14.5
Total: 157
Moneyline: Marquette -1200, Western Kentucky +750
Opening odds
Spread: Marquette -13.5
Total: 158.5
Moneyline: Marquette -1350, Western Kentucky +800
Odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best bet: Western Kentucky +13.5
The Hilltoppers’ high-scoring, fast-paced offense has the chance to catch Marquette on their heels early and force the Golden Eagles to slow things down and make a comeback. Western Kentucky has a very solid scoring offense and won’t have issues competing for rebounds, with big man Rodney Howard standing at nearly seven feet tall in the paint. I like WKU to keep this one on the closer side.