Butler recently knocked off No. 1 Villanova but is coming off a loss to Creighton so needs this victory as everyone fights for good seeding heading into March Madness. The Golden Eagles need to play well down the stretch to make the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and a road win over Butler would be a huge feather in their cap.
The Bulldogs are a tough team and the home court advantage makes them the clear favorite in this matchup.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Butler is 14-4 straight up and 11-6 against the spread. The Bulldogs have covered in six of their nine home games and will aim to add another one in this one. Butler has been favored in all but three games this year and has gone 9-5 against the spread as the favorites.
Marquette is 10-5 straight up and 8-6 against the spread. The Golden Eagles have played three true road games on the season and have covered in two of them. Marquette has gone 2-2 against the spread as an underdog on the year.
Player to Watch
Kelan Martin – The junior forward is Butler’s leading scorer this season, averaging 17.4 points per game. He had 13 points and ten rebounds in the team’s 85-76 overtime win against Georgetown on January 7th.
Martin dropped a season-high 30 points on Central Arkansas on December 3rd and also put up 28 points against No. 9 Indiana on December 17th. He has scored 20 points or more in six games this season.
Martin leads an offense that averages 77.7 points a game this season. He teams up with Andrew Chrabascz, who is averaging 11.9 points per game for Butler.
Key Stat
83.6. That’s how many points per game this Marquette offense is averaging this season. The team operates behind a balanced offense that include five players who average double-digit points each game.
Jajuan Johnson is leading the way for Marquette, averaging 13.3 points per game. He receives assistance from Luke Fischer, Markus Howard, Haanif Cheatham and Katin Reinhardt, all of whom are averaging 10 points or more per game.
Howard has really stepped up his game of late. The standout freshman has scored 21 points or more in three of the past four games as he gains more college experience. Howard is shooting 51 percent from the field and a robust 55.6 percent from three-point range, and his role should continue to increase down the stretch as he proves to be a go-to scorer.
The Golden Eagles will have their hands full this week, facing a Butler defense that has held opponents to 64.9 points per game. The Bulldogs have held six opponents to 60 points or less this season, including formerly top-ranked Villanova.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
This is an interesting clash of strengths, and Marquette’s offense may not be able to make enough gains against a tough Butler defense. The Bulldogs play well at home and have proven to be one of the better teams in the country.
Check out the spread because it’s very possible Marquette keeps this one close and covers, but Butler will be able to eke out a close victory. The Big East is tight and this will be a critical win for the Bulldogs.
College Basketball Odds: Butler 75, Marquette 74
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