Marquette vs. Villanova Betting Pick – Jan 24, 2025

The Villanova Wildcats (12-8) aim to shake up their season when they face the 10th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles (16-3) on Friday, January 24 at 7:00 PM ET at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Golden Eagles are favored with a -9.5 (-110 MyBookie) point spread.

Villanova Wildcats Betting Preview

The Wildcats have lost three out of their last four games. As they have gone 2-3 over their last five, three battles have ended with a two points or less margin. Their latest battle was a 64-63 defeat against the Georgetown Hoyas.

Villanova had a 34-27 lead after the first half, but came up short offensively in the second while allowing the Hoyas to get 37 points during this period. Eric Dixon had a strong performance of 29 points and Jordan Longino added 18 to be the only two players in double figures.

Both teams had eerily similar stats on both ends of the floor, with the Wildcats missing a few free throws they likely wished they would have made. In addition, the biggest takeaway was turnovers, as the Wildcats had 16 while the Hoyas had eight. These turnovers led to 16 points for the Hoyas, so they took advantage there.

The Wildcats have produced 76.9 points a game and have made 47.5 percent of their shots. Defensively they allow 67.8 points a game from opposing teams. This margin is solid, but they still need to perform better on both ends of the floor.

Marquette Golden Eagles Betting Preview

The Golden Eagles are 7-1 in the Big East and are 4-1 over their latest five matchups. In their recent battle, they defeated the Seton Hall Pirates 76-59, putting them back on the winning side after a 59-57 loss to the Xavier Musketeers in the previous game prior.

Marquette came out strong defending in this one, with a 33-21 lead after the first half. The Pirates had the first lead of the game at 2-0, but never reclaimed it after that. Kam Jones led with 19 points on 63.6 percent shooting from the field and had four assists (but three turnovers).

They shut down the Pirates shooting from beyond the arc, as they went 1-11. They also forced 24 turnovers and gained 23 points off of those. Pushing the pace was key too, as they had 15 fast break points as opposed to the Pirates’ six.

The Golden Eagles are averaging 78.8 points a game and make 44.8 percent of their shots. On defense they have held opponents to 66.5 points a game. They had a 27-point lead over the Pirates, but did not hold it down defensively for the entirety of the game.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie has you covered with the Villanova Wildcats vs. Marquette Golden Eagles betting odds, with the Golden Eagles as 9.5-point favorites at home. The Golden Eagles have a 78.0 percent chance of winning, according to market insights. The Golden Eagles have great momentum to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Marquette Golden Eagles -9.5 (-110)