Big East conference play gets started this week with several can’t-miss matchups. That includes an intriguing showdown in Milwaukee tonight between Georgetown and Marquette. This is a make-or-break season for the Hoyas, off to a 7-3 start. On the flip side, a win would be more than welcome for the 5-6 Golden Eagles.
Which of these rivals will earn a victory on Wednesday? Marquette enters as 5.5-point favorites (-105) over Georgetown. The total is set at 150.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s a college basketball pick, preview and prediction for tonight’s game between the Hoyas and the Golden Eagles.
Georgetown vs. Marquette prediction, preview
In many ways, this is a make or break campaign for the Hoyas. Granted, things have improved under head coach Ed Cooley. However, after two years on the job, Georgetown hasn’t made its long-anticipated return to national prominence. With that being said, this season’s roster has the talent to earn an NCAA Tournament berth. The Hoyas have raced out to a 7-3 record, including non-conference wins over Maryland and Clemson. Still, they don’t rank inside college basketball’s top 150 schools in offensive or defensive rating.
Unlike in years past, Georgetown’s roster has plenty of depth. Four different players are averaging double-digit points, led by KJ Lewis (15.6 PPG) and Malik Mack (14.8 PPG). Lewis also leads the Big East with 2.5 steals per game. Down low, the duo of Vince Iwuchukwu and Julius Halaifonua have combined for 22.1 points and 9.2 rebounds. However, the former of the former is currently inactive due to a medical procedure. The biggest issue for the Hoyas comes from beyond the arc; they’re shooting a conference-worst 29% from three-point range. Only two players, Mack and Caleb Williams, are knocking down more than 1.0 treys per game.
It’s been a similar story from long distance for Marquette, owners of a 30.6% three-point percentage. However, unlike Georgetown, the team has taken college basketball’s 77th-most attempts per game from deep (27.4). Chase Ross leads this pedestrian offense with an impressive 18.6 points per game. Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, there isn’t much else to brag about. Per KenPom, they rank 128th in the nation with a 110.5 adjusted offensive efficiency. On the other end, Marquette is slightly better with a 102.9 adjusted defensive efficiency, 78th-best in the nation.
Things have somehow been even worse on defense for Shaka Smart’s squad. Marquette has given up 76.6 points per game to its opponents, second-worst in the Big East. That’s due in large part to a lack of rim protection. Center Ben Gold, a solid shooter, is only averaging 0.5 blocks per game. Other than that, no other member of the team’s rotation is taller than 6’9″. Georgetown’s healthy seven-footer, Halaifonua, could dominate the glass on Wednesday.
Georgetown vs. Marquette pick, best bet
It’s worth mentioning that of their five wins, the Golden Eagles have yet to defeat a high-major program. In fact, it took overtime at home to defeat Valparaiso on December 2nd. That’s not a great sign heading into conference play. In comparison, we’ve already seen the Hoyas earn hard-fought victories over the Big Ten and ACC. Granted, Cooley’s crew isn’t flawless; they were nearly upset at home vs. St. Peter’s. Regardless, Georgetown’s size and guard play could make life difficult for Marquette. Keeping that in mind, expect the visitors to hang tough tonight in a hostile environment.
