Although there isn’t a game featuring two ranked teams on Sunday, there is a Big Ten vs. Big East showdown featuring Indiana vs. Marquette. This game is taking place in the Waterkeeper Alliance Invitational at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. These programs have faced each other twice in the past, with the series standing 1-1. The Hoosiers won the previous game against the Golden Eagles 96-73 in 2018.
Marquette has started the season 2-0 with two wins by 18 points, while Indiana beat Alabama A&M 98-51 in their first contest. Here is my best bet for Sunday’s matchup between Marquette and Indiana.
Marquette vs. Indiana (1:00 p.m. ET)
Darian DeVries left West Virginia to become Indiana’s Head Coach in the offseason. DeVries finished 19-13 in his lone season in Morgantown and now has taken over one of the most historic programs in the sport. This season, 11 new players joined the Indiana roster, with 10 of them being transfers. Indiana finished with the No. 11 recruiting class in the country, according to 247sports. Darian’s son, Tucker DeVries, accompanied him to Indiana and is expected to be one of their top players this season. Reed Bailey, a transfer from Davidson, led the Hoosiers with 21 points in their opening game.
Shaka Smart added five freshmen in the offseason and has a starting five consisting of all returning players. Marquette lost its top three scorers from last season’s team, and is counting on its homegrown players to take the next step this year. Continuity is uncommon in this era of college basketball, but Smart has found a way to continue to develop his players at Marquette. Chase Rose is leading Marquette in scoring through two games with 19 per contest.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Indiana is a -1.5 point favorite, which is -135 on the moneyline. The Golden Eagles are a +154 underdog in this game. As the line suggests, this is a close matchup, but I favor Marquette since Indiana has a new coach and an entirely new roster this season. The Golden Eagles have more experience playing together as a team and should rise to the occasion against Indiana.
