The No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles will take on the No. 15 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Below we’ll preview both teams, including analysis and key stats while also providing our prediction.
Marquette is back in the Big Dance for the third year in a row after another strong season in the Big East. While they lost twice to UConn and once against Creighton, they had few issues with the rest of their conference and grabbed non-conference wins over Illinois and Kansas at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. The Golden Eagles shot over 48% from the field this season, ranking 19th in the nation.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are bringing their fast-paced offense to the Big Dance. Led by guard Don McHenry, WKU leads the nation in adjusted tempo per 40 possessions, averaging 77.3 possessions per game. After dropping their last four regular-season games, the Hilltoppers went on a conference tournament run that culminated in a win over the UTEP Miners and the school’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 2013.
Pick: No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles
2024 March Madness: Marquette vs. Western Kentucky odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Marquette, -16
Over/Under: 158.5
Moneyline: Marquette -1350, WKU +800