The Marquette Golden Eagles take on the Xavier Musketeers in a Big East matchup on Saturday, March 9. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:90 p.m. ET, and the game will air on Fox.
Marquette (22-8, 13-6 Big East) dropped their second consecutive game on Wednesday, falling 74-67 to UConn on their home court. This was the Golden Eagles’ second loss to UConn this season, and other conference losses have come against Creighton, Butler, and Seton Hall. However, they handily defeated Xavier earlier this season, winning 88-64.
Guard Tyler Kolek, the team’s second-highest scorer, is sidelined with an injury for the Xavier game. Marquette is currently projected to earn a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament at ESPN, and they rank 14th overall at KenPom. They score 79 points per game (41st in the nation) and record 8.8 steals per game (17th in the nation).
Xavier (15-15, 9-10 Big East) fell 72-66 to Butler in their latest game. The Musketeers rank 53rd at KenPom and are not currently in the picture to reach the Big Dance this season. They score 76.2 points per game (84th in the nation) and hold opponents to 42.7% from the field (91st in the nation).
Marquette vs. Xavier odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Marquette -2.5
Total: 158.5
Moneyline: Marquette -155, Xavier +130
Pick: Marquette -2.5
While Marquette is 0-2 without Kolek, they played the best two teams in the Big East in Creighton and UConn in those two outings. Xavier will allow the Eagles to impose their will more at the rim, and with the Musketeers not having beaten anyone outside of Georgetown or DePaul in a month, they should fall short on senior night again.