NCAAB Pick: Marquette -7.5 (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
Providence travels to Marquette on Wednesday in a key showdown between Big East contenders. The No. 22 Friars are in second place in the conference at 6-1, 14-4 overall. The Golden Eagles are ahead of Providence in the polls, at No. 20, but they trail by a half-game in the Big East standings, at 6-2, 14-5 overall.
The two teams met in an epic double-overtime clash in Providence four weeks ago, with the Friars getting the 103-98 win.
Both teams are coming off a loss in their last game. Providence fell at fourth-place Creighton, 73-67 on Saturday, snapping a nine-game winning streak. Marquette lost to first-place Xavier, who is unbeaten in the Big East and No. 8 nationally. The 80-76 loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Golden Eagles.
Marquette will be favored in its next four games by the NCAAB odds, leading up to a trip to UConn, while Providence should be favored in its next three, before a trip to Xavier. So both teams can use this game as a springboard to a winning streak, while the loser will need to snap out of back-to-back losses that threaten its spot in the Big East top tier.
Providence Friars vs. Marquette Golden Eagles
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 – 09:00 PM EST at Fiserv Forum
Day-To-Day at Point
Providence will be awaiting the game-time status of senior point guard Jared Bynum. The floor leader was averaging 9.1 ppg and 4.4 assists when he went down with an abdominal strain injury early in the Jan. 4 game against UConn.
He has missed the two games since, and the Friars have suffered from his absence on both ends of the floor, getting past St. John’s in a closer-than-expected home game, 83-80, and then losing at Creighton.
The Providence defense, which had been one of the best in the Big East in efficiency and shooting percentage defense, struggled in both games, allowing the Huskies and Red Storm to hit 58% of their two-point attempts in two of the worst performances of the season for the Friars.
On offense, Providence matched its worst three-point shooting performance of the year in the Creighton game and posted one of its worst offensive efficiencies. Providence needs Bynum to create openings for teammates, particularly Bryce Hopkins, the leading scorer and rebounder for the Friars. Hopkins has hit just 9-of-23 from the field in the two games Bynum missed, more than 100 points below his season shooting percentage prior to that.
Offensive Machine
If Providence can’t get Bynum back or find another way to solve its recent defensive shortcomings, it could be a long night for the Friars. Marquette enters with the most efficient offense in college basketball and the second-best effective shooting percentage. The Golden Eagles specialize in getting to the rim. They shoot more than 60% on their two-point attempts, which is the second-best percentage in the nation.
Marquette shares the ball. The Eagles’ 18.5 assists per game rank sixth in the nation, and Tyler Kolek’s 7.9 assists a night is third best in college basketball. Kolek had just three assists and six turnovers against Bynum and Providence last time out, but he also poured in 29 points and had five steals. Without Bynum hounding him, he could be an even bigger factor in the rematch.
Marquette has four players averaging double figures, led by Kam Jones. They have a unique freestyling offense that is filled with crisp passes and backdoor cuts. All of which makes it even more crucial for Providence to have its floor leader healthy.
The Betting Picks
It’s hard to put everything on one player in a marquee game like this, but without Bynum on the floor at 100%, it’s tough to see a path to victory for Providence. Marquette struggled with the Friars’ size in the first game, with Hopkins recording more than 20 rebounds as the Golden Eagles focused on boxing out Providence's rebounding leader Ed Croswell.
The Friars would need a big game on the boards and find a way to keep Kolek in check. It all seems like too big of an ask. Look for Marquette to even the season series with a big home win for your betting picks.
Befoe you go ahead and place your bets, make sure to go over our Wisconsin betting guide, where you can the best sports betting sites and strategies for betting in the Badger State.
NCAAB Pick: Marquette -7.5 (-108) at Heritage Sports
NCAAB Pick: Over 150.5 (-108) at Heritage Sports
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
