Villanova Wildcats vs Marquette Golden Eagles Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/24/2025

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Friday, January 24, 2025

Venue:  Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI 

Where to Watch:  Fox Sports 1

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Villanova +9.5, Marquette -9.5; Over/Under:  143.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Villanova +9.5, Marquette -9.5; Over/Under:  143.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Villanova +9.5, Marquette -9.5; Over/Under:  143.5 points

Villanova Wildcats:  12-8 (5-4) (5th place, Big East)

Marquette Golden Eagles:  16-3 (7-1) (2nd place, Big East)

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Villanova Wildcats:  2-3  last 5

Marquette Golden Eagles:  4-1  last 5

Villanova is entering this game with a 12-8 record overall, a 5-4 record in conference games, and they are 1-4 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Georgetown Hoyas in their last game. Eric Dixon led the team in points per game in that game with 29 while Jordan Longino was next on the team with 18. Jhamir Brickus led the team in assists with 7 in that game while Enoch Boakye led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 40% from the field, 40% from 3-point range, and 75% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 76.9 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 67.8 PPG against them. Villanova has an ATS record of 10-10 this season and their O/U record is 13-6-1.

Marquette is entering this game with a 16-3 record overall, a 7-1 conference record, and they are 10-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Seton Hall Pirates in their last game. Kameron Jones led the team in points in that game with 19 while David Joplin was next on the team with 12. Kameron Jones and Stevie Mitchell each led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Stevie Mitchell led the team in rebounds with 6. They were 41.4% from the field, 37% from 3-point range, and 72% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 78.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 66.5 PPG against them. Marquette has an ATS record of 9-9-1 this season and their O/U record is 8-11.

The current betting odds have Marquette listed as a 9.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Marquette has looked really good in their games this season with their 16-3 record overall and their 7-1 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big East. They have also looked great on their home court this year with their 10-1 home record. Meanwhile, Villanova has looked good in their games this season with their 12-8 record overall, but their 5-4 conference record has them right in the middle of the Big East. They are coming off a bad home loss in their last one to Georgetown and they have been terrible on the road this season with their 1-4 road record. Villanova was playing really well a few weeks ago, but they have been struggling in their own conference lately as they are 2-3 in their last 5 games. Marquette has been rolling over teams in the conference though as they are one of the best teams in the nation and they are coming off another big win over Seton Hall in their last one. Villanova will be looking to bounce back after a bad loss in a game they were supposed to win, but Marquette is one of the best teams in the nation and Villanova just doesn't have the talent to compete with them, especially on the road where they have been so bad. The best way to place a bet here is on Marquette to cover the spread in this game. 

Villanova Marquette Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Friday, January 24, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Marquette 84 Villanova 68.

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Villanova Wildcats: 5-10 ATS in a road game where the total is 140 to 149.5. 10-17 ATS versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting 18 free throws/game or less. 16-22 ATS versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 6-3 UNDER after failing to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games. 20-11 UNDER in road games. 11-5 UNDER in a road game where the total is 140 to 149.5.

Marquette Golden Eagles: 25-18 ATS in all home games. 9-5 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points. 8-4 ATS when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%). 26-17 UNDER when the total is 140 to 149.5. 23-11 UNDER versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game. 31-16 UNDER versus good shooting teams - making 45% of their shots or more.

Villanova Wildcats:  N. Njoku (F) Out - Knee. M. Thomas (F) Questionable - Knee. M. Hodge (F) Out - Eligibility.

Marquette Golden Eagles:  A. Amadou (F) Out - Redshirt. S. Jones (G) Out - Redshirt.

"A lot of it is being healthy. A lot of it is a credit to the coaching staff and my teammates for instilling confidence in me. Just being an older guy, a senior in this program, gives you experience as to what it takes to be effective in college." - Jordan Longino after their loss against Georgetown in their last game. 

"I'm grateful for the defensive effort from our guys, for I think about three-quarters of the game. It was not a pretty offensive half in the first half, either way. I thought our guys did a good job leading with defense. We had three guys that had double-digit deflections, which is a huge deal for us." - Shaka Smart after his team’s win against Seton Hall in their last game. 

E. Boakye 

J. Brickus 

E. Dixon 

J. Longino 

W. Poplar

B. Gold 

K. Jones 

D. Joplin 

S. Mitchell 

C. Ross

PPG: E. Dixon (24.9)

APG: J. Brickus (5.6)

Reb/G: E. Boakye (6.6)

PPG: K. Jones (19.1)

APG: K. Jones (6.5)

Reb/G: D. Joplin (5.3)

Coaches:

Villanova Wildcats: Kyle Neptune (3rd season)

Marquette Golden Eagles: Shaka Smart (4th season)