The Xavier Musketeers are the top seed for the Big East Tournament, and a championship to go along with its regular season crown would more than likely nail down a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But the conference is loaded with talented teams and it won’t be an easy road.
Villanova will be the No. 2 seed in the tournament but will likely be the team to beat as it has the superior overall body of work. Teams like Creighton, Butler and Seton Hall are talented enough to pull upsets and make a deep run.
The Big East has quality teams up and down its conference so beginning in the quarterfinals it could be a lot of fun, with upsets possible. This is also a critical time for a few teams that could be on the March Madness bubble.
Big East Tournament Schedule
Don't miss the hardwood action from Madison Square Garden from Wednesday, March 7, 2018 through Saturday, March 10 on FS1 and FOX. We'll have NCAA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game of the Big East Tournament.
First Round - Wednesday, March 7th
No. 8 Georgetown vs. No. 9 St. John's, 7 p.m.
No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 10 DePaul, 9:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals - Thursday, March 8th
No. 1 Xavier vs. TBD at 12 p.m.
No. 4 Creighton vs. No. 5 Providence at 2:30 p.m.
No. 2 Villanova vs. TBD at 7 p.m.
No. 3 Seton Hall vs. No. 6 Butler at 9:30 p.m.
Semifinals - Friday, March 9th
TBD at 6:30 p.m.
TBD at 9:30 p.m.
Championship - Saturday, March 10th
TBD at 6:30 p.m.
Odds Analysis
Villanova is the odds-on favorite to win the Big East Tournament, as it may be the best team in the entire country. Xavier is clearly the chief contender but doesn’t have the type of odds one would expect for being the top seed.
Butler, Seton Hall and Creighton are lumped together as the darkhorses, while some of the longshots to win this tournament include Providence, Marquette, Georgetown, St. John’s and DePaul.
Bubble Watch
Marquette is currently listed as one of the first four teams on the outside looking in for the tournament by ESPN, so these contests are huge. The Eagles definitely need to win one game and would be well-served to capture at least a pair. Marquette should be favored to knock off DePaul in the first round, but then would be lined up to face off against Villanova. An upset would likely get the Eagles in to the dance, but it will be a tall task.
Providence is currently projected to be a No. 10 seed so it will likely be fine no matter what, but a victory would help ease any concerns. Butler should also be in regardless of result, but it too would benefit from at least one win. But the team with the most to lose or gain is definitely Marquette.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
Marquette is a team that has shown the ability to compete with some of the best teams, so it’s not an easy quarterfinal game for Villanova. The Wildcats, though, should be able to win, and then should cruise in the semifinals.
Xavier is a good team but not quite elite like Villanova. The possible semifinal matchup against Creighton is not an easy one, and the Bluejays are talented enough to pull the upset. Look for a Big East Conference championship game to feature Villanova against Creighton, and the Wildcats will be able to secure a No. 1 seed in March Madness by heading in with the conference tournament title.
NCAA Odds: Villanova 82, Creighton 79 in the Big East Conference Championship Game
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