by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Jan 06, 2022
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Where to watch: FS1
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Marquette -2
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: NL
Season record
Marquette: 9-6 (1-3 Big East)
Georgetown: 6-5
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Marquette - Georgetown preview and analysis
Recent form
Marquette: won 88-56 vs. Providence on Tuesday
Georgetown: lost 80-73 vs. TCU on Dec. 18
For the first time in three weeks, the Georgetown Hoyas return to the court and will play a game Friday, their Big East opener against the Marquette Golden Eagles.
Much like a lot of happenings across the country, Georgetown has been hit hard by the pandemic. The Hoyas had four games postponed, all conference games against Providence, Creighton, St. John's and Xavier.
The last time we saw Georgetown was before Christmas; the Hoyas lost 80-73 at home to the TCU Horned Frogs in what snapped Georgetown's 3-game winning streak. It turned out to be a game where neither team figured out when to hit shots consistently, leading to TCU pulling away because it did narrowly more in the 3-pointer and free-throw categories.
Aminu Mohammed led the way with 21 points but took 20 shots to get there and only had four free-throw attempts. The forward also had 11 rebounds in the loss Kaiden Rice also had 14 points but took 13 shots to get there, and Donald Carey had 12 points on 5 of 12 shooting.
Safe to say this has not gone as Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing hoped for, and the same could be said for all programs across the country dealing with COVID outbreaks and postponements. Georgetown has unfortunately fallen behind the 8-ball when it comes to the rest of its Big East counterparts. Some teams have already played as many as four conference games, like their opponent on Friday.
The Golden Eagles won their first Big East game of the season on Tuesday in a dominant 88-56 win over the No. 16-ranked Friars of Providence. That game ended a four-game losing streak for Marquette and reminded a bunch of outsiders that this group can be a force in the Big East.
"It's been a rough start in the conference for us, but it always starts with one win at a time," said Marquette's Kur Kurath, who had seven blocks to go along with nine points. "I feel like with this win, we're finally getting our rhythm and motion and finally finding ourselves again."
For the first time in three weeks, the Georgetown Hoyas return to the court and will play a game Friday, their Big East opener against the Marquette Golden Eagles.
Much like a lot of happenings across the country, Georgetown has been hit hard by the pandemic. The Hoyas had four games postponed, all conference games against Providence, Creighton, St. John's and Xavier.
The last time we saw Georgetown was before Christmas; the Hoyas lost 80-73 at home to the TCU Horned Frogs in what snapped Georgetown's 3-game winning streak. It turned out to be a game where neither team figured out when to hit shots consistently, leading to TCU pulling away because it did narrowly more in the 3-pointer and free-throw categories.
Aminu Mohammed led the way with 21 points but took 20 shots to get there and only had four free-throw attempts. The forward also had 11 rebounds in the loss Kaiden Rice also had 14 points but took 13 shots to get there, and Donald Carey had 12 points on 5 of 12 shooting.
Safe to say this has not gone as Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing hoped for, and the same could be said for all programs across the country dealing with COVID outbreaks and postponements. Georgetown has unfortunately fallen behind the 8-ball when it comes to the rest of its Big East counterparts. Some teams have already played as many as four conference games, like their opponent on Friday.
The Golden Eagles won their first Big East game of the season on Tuesday in a dominant 88-56 win over the No. 16-ranked Friars of Providence. That game ended a four-game losing streak for Marquette and reminded a bunch of outsiders that this group can be a force in the Big East.
"It's been a rough start in the conference for us, but it always starts with one win at a time," said Marquette's Kur Kurath, who had seven blocks to go along with nine points. "I feel like with this win, we're finally getting our rhythm and motion and finally finding ourselves again."
Justin Lewis led the way with 23 points and 11 rebounds in 29 minutes, as Marquette held Providence to a season-low 32.8 percent shooting and only 5 of 19 from 3-point range. Marquette, meanwhile, shot 52 percent.
Prediction
This game is dangerous because we're not entirely sure which Georgetown team we're seeing. It's one of the unknowns involving COVID in the sports world. One team that hasn't played could be well-rested, ready to go and ready to attack, whereas the rust could also play a factor despite being at home, but it would make for an entertaining game. In the end, I think Marquette is the right play here. There's a lot of momentum off that win against Providence, and it's a group that has the chance to really take the reins in the Big East with another win or two. Going into Georgetown is never an easy environment to win, but wins against top-25 teams can normally be a springboard. I want to see how Marquette responds. Marquette by 10
Betting trends
Marquette is 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.
The over is 3-1-1 in Marquette's last five against teams with a winning record.
The over is 6-1 in Georgetown's last seven games.
Projected starting lineup
Marquette:
PG: Tyler Kolek
SG: Darryl Morsell
SF: Justin Lewis
PF: Olivier-Maxence Prosper
C: Kur Kuath
SF: Justin Lewis
PF: Olivier-Maxence Prosper
C: Kur Kuath
Georgetown:
PG: Dante Harris
SG: Donald Carey
SF: Aminu Mohammed
PF: Kaiden Rice
C: Malcolm Wilson
SF: Aminu Mohammed
PF: Kaiden Rice
C: Malcolm Wilson
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
