The No. 13 Marquette Golden Eagles have won their first six home games, with a 1-2-1 spread mark in that span’s four ‘board’ battles. Buzz Williams’ squad plays its last matchup at Bradley Center before Big East Conference play begins in Thursday’s contest against the Vanderbilt Commodores, who visit from the SEC with a 2-0 ATS streak in their pair of December duels away from home.
Sportsbooks opened Marquette as a 9 ½-point favorite, while first
setting the ‘total’ at 148 ½. Early NCAA basketball betting wagers on Vanderbilt and the ‘over’ has moved the numbers to 8 ½ and 149 ½, respectively.
Golden Eagles pull away
Marquette’s latest win came in last Thursday’s 64-50 victory as a
14-point home favorite against the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers. The
Golden Eagles sank 18-of-20 free throws, while holding their foes to 26.7
percent field shooting.
Golden Eagles guard Junior Cadougan notched a team-high 15 points,
while adding two of his squad’s five steals. Cadougan’s mates Davante
Gardner and Darius Johnson-Odom logged four assists and eight rebounds,
respectively, en route to finishing with 12 points each.
The battle’s combined 114 points plunged below the ‘total’ of 140,
making the ‘under’ 2-0 in the Golden Eagles’ last two games. Marquette
edged out Wisconsin-Milwaukee in boards, 38-37, while both squads united to
drain a meager 6-of-39 from three-point land.
Vandy returns to the road
Vanderbilt has not been away from home since Dec. 7, holding on
for an 87-83 win as a one-point favorite against the Davidson Wildcats. The Commodores connected on 48.4 percent of their field buckets, including
7-of-15 beyond the arc.
Commodores guard Jeffery Taylor put up a season-high 30 points,
while adding four rebounds and two of his squad’s six blocks. Taylor’s
backcourt mate Lance Goulbourne was held to 1-of-7 from the field, finishing
with three points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Vandy went on to a 61-55 defeat as a 10-point home favorite
against the Indiana State Sycamores on Dec. 17, while racking up a pair of
‘cupcake’ blowout wins following the setback against the Longwood Lancers and
Lafayette Leopards.
Back the ‘under’ in Milwaukee
Thursday’s tip is scheduled for 9 p.m. (ET), with ESPN2 providing
the national television coverage. Vanderbilt’s Festus Ezeli, who averaged
13 PPG and 6.3 RPG last year, is listed as “questionable” after missing his
squad’s last two games with a knee injury.
I am placing my NCAA basketball pick on the ‘under' as I predict a lower octane game between these foes compared to last year’s 77-76 win for Vandy. Marquette
has given up a stingy 57.3 PPG at home, holding its visting rivals to 35.1
percent field shooting.
The Golden Eagles have ranked fifth among the Big East’s 16
schools for defensive rebounds (25.9 RPG) and steals (9 SPG). Marquette
has put up its share of points, but should face a challenge from Taylor and Co,
who have held foes on the road to 23.8 percent shooting beyond the arc.
The
‘under’ is 5-0 in Marquette’s last five home games against visitors who have
had a winning road record, while going 12-5 in the Golden Eagles’ last 17 spots
that followed a victory. Vandy has also seen its share of ‘under’ tickets
cash, with the wager collecting at 5-3 in its eight ‘board’ affairs and 2-0 when the NCAA Basketball odds boards posted a ‘total’ of 149 ½ or higher.
My Pick: Under