Marquette Golden Eagles vs Butler Bulldogs Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/28/2023

by Rod Pearson

Monday, Feb 27, 2023
Game Time: 6:30 pm ET, Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Venue:  Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Where to Watch:  Fox Sports 1


Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Marquette -8, Butler +8; Over/Under:  143 points
Bet365:  Point Spread:  Marquette -8, Butler +8; Over/Under:  143 points
BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Marquette -8, Butler +8; Over/Under:  143 points

Season Record

Marquette Golden Eagles:  23-6 (15-3) (1st place, Big East)
Butler Bulldogs:  14-15 (6-12) (9th place, Big East)

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Recent Form
Marquette Golden Eagles:  4-1  last 5
Butler Bulldogs:  3-2  last 5


Marquette Golden Eagles vs Butler Bulldogs Preview and Analysis


Marquette is coming into this game with a 23-6 record overall and they are 7-4 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are also 15-3 in their conference games this season as well. They are entering this game on a 4 game winning streak with wins coming against the Georgetown Hoyas, the Xavier Musketeers, the Creighton Bluejays, and the DePaul Blue Demons in their last game. Tyler Kolek and Kameron Jones each led the team in points in that game with 22 while Oso Ighodaro was next on the team with 12 points. Tyler Kolek led the team in assists in that game with 14 while Olivier-Maxence Prosper led the team in rebounds with 6. They were 48.4% from the field, 42.9% from 3-point range, and 78.3% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 80.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 71.1 PPG against them. Marquette has an ATS record of 18-10-1 this season and their O/U record is 16-13.


Butler is coming into this game with a 14-15 record overall and they are 10-5 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are also 6-12 in their conference schedule this season as well. They are entering this game off of a win against the DePaul Blue Demons in their last game. Simas Lukosius and Ali Ali each led the team in points in that game with 15 while Jayden Taylor was next on the team with 13 points. Ali Ali led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Simas Lukosius and Jalen Thomas each led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 40.4% from the field, 17.6% from 3-point range, and 71.4% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 65.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 67.2 PPG against them. Butler has an ATS record of 13-14-2 this season and their O/U record is 8-19-2.



Marquette vs Butler Prediction

The current betting odds have Marquette listed as an 8 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Marquette has been having a great season as they just clinched a part in the Big East title with their 15-3 conference record and they have a chance to clinch it all by themselves here with a win. They enter this game as a ranked team with their 23-6 record overall and have been the best team in the Big East all year. They have even been great in their road games with a 7-4 road record and they have a lot of momentum with 4 wins in a row now. Butler has been terrible this season with their losing 14-15 record overall and they have been struggling a lot in the Big East with their 6-12 conference record. They are 10-5 in their home games this season and just pulled off a win against DePaul in their last game, but they have still been terrible in a lot of their games lately while their win over DePaul was just a win against one of the worst in the Big East. Marquette had a huge lead in their last game but they played a very bad 2nd half and allowed their opponent to come right back in that game. They are not happy with that performance and they will make sure they play a full 40 mins from start to finish in this game and they will be able to pull away by a lot and keep their lead this time as they prepare for March. The best way to place a bet here is on Marquette to cover the spread in this game. 

Marquette Butler Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Tuesday, February 28, 2023 (6:30 pm ET start time) is Marquette 81 Butler 61.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Marquette Golden Eagles Butler Bulldogs prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAB predictions and previews.

NCAAB Betting Trends


Marquette Golden Eagles: 18-10 ATS in all games. 159-114 ATS in road games. 11-5 UNDER after a win by 6 points or less.
Butler Bulldogs: 4-12 ATS as an underdog. 7-13 ATS off a win against a conference rival. 20-8 UNDER in all games.

Key Injuries


Marquette Golden Eagles:  E. Ellis (G) Early March - Knee. Z. Wrightsil (F) out for season - Knee.
Butler Bulldogs:  M. Bates (C) Ques Tues - Shoulder. J. Mulloy (F) Out indefinitely - Ankle.

Notable Quotes


"I told the guys in the locker room it's fine to have mixed emotions. It's good to have mixed emotions.” - Shaka Smart after his team’s win against DePaul in their last game which saw them clinch a share in the Big East title this season. 


"Well we moved a couple guys around, made adjustments as we all do. But I think the biggest thing is we started making some shots. My God, in the first half we were missing layups, wide open 3s, we were 3-for-17 from 3 tonight. But we had a better flow.” - Thad Matta after his team’s win against DePaul in their last game. 


Starting Lineups


Marquette Golden Eagles
O. Ighodaro 
K. Jones 
T. Kolek 
S. Mitchell 
O. Prosper

Butler Bulldogs
M. Bates 
C. Harris 
E. Hunter 
S. Lukosius 
J. Taylor

Statistical Leaders


Marquette Golden Eagles
PPG: K. Jones (15.2)
APG: T. Kolek (7.8)
Reb/G: O. Ighodaro (5.9)

Butler Bulldogs
PPG: J. Taylor (13.1)
APG: S. Lukosius (2.9)
Reb/G: M. Bates (5.7)

Coaches:
Marquette Golden Eagles: Shaka Smart (2nd season)
Butler Bulldogs: Thad Matta (1st season)


Rod Pearson

About the Author:

Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life.  He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years.  In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective.  Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

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