UConn-Marquette Preview

The last week of college basketball’s regular season is upon us, which means extra eyeballs on bubble teams all around the country desperately trying to boost their resumes. But with all due respect to those squads, we ain’t talking fringe tourney teams today — not when there’s three top-20 matchups going down this evening 👇

• #4 Tennessee @ #17 South Carolina (7PM EST, ESPN2)

• #2 UConn @ #8 Marquette (8:30PM EST, FS1)

• #20 BYU @ #6 Iowa State (9PM, ESPN2)

Dalton Knecht and the Volunteers (-5.5, -225) are always must-watch television, and tonight’s trip to South Carolina (+184) to face an impressive Gamecocks’ team should be an especially fun one 😏

And no one in the Top 10 is getting less national attention than sixth-ranked Iowa State (-7.5, -260), but another ranked win tonight over BYU (+195) could have the Cyclones well on track for a top-2 seed come tourney time 👀

But the game of the night is undoubtedly the Big East battle out in Milwaukee, between the hometown Marquette Golden Eagles and the conference-leading UConn Huskies. Check out how the lines are looking for their second meeting of the season 👇

#2 UConn vs. #8 Marquette Betting Preview

• Spread: UConn -5.5

• Moneyline: UConn -210, Marquette +172

• Over/Under: 150.5

The rematch may have slightly less prestige than the top-4 clash from mid-February, but if the line is any indication, it should at least be a bit more competitive. The then top-ranked Huskies absolutely dusted the fourth-ranked Golden Eagles in Connecticut, cementing themselves as the title favorite (+500) in the process 💪

Preseason All-American point guard Tyler Kolek was invisible for Marquette the first time around, and few players, if any, are more important to their team’s success than him…which could spell trouble for the Golden Eagles 😬

• Since the calendar flipped to 2024, Marquette has lost each of the four games in which Kolek failed to hit double figures in points and/or assists, including Saturday’s game at Creighton, which he missed due to injury. And Shaka Smart’s squad will have to be without their floor general once again tonight 😫

It’s undoubtedly a brutal blow to the Golden Eagles, who even at full strength would have their hands full with the Huskies. We’ve discussed them a few times already this season, but if you haven’t gotten the memo yet, the reigning champs are nasty 😤

• A sizable loss at Creighton a couple weeks ago, which snapped a 14-game win streak, knocked the UConn out of their top spot in the AP Poll, but I agree with Vegas; this is still the best team in the country

• Need convincing? Look no further than Sunday’s title-clinching, 30-point annihilation of a tough Seton Hall team that actually beat them earlier in the year 😳

UConn’s last five games saw five different leading scorers; you don’t see teams this deep and dangerous all that often. And I’d be hard-pressed to find a scenario in which I’m betting against the Huskies the rest of the year 🏆

Trivia Question: UConn captured their conference-leading 11th Big East regular season title this year; which team has the second most?

For My Parlay Gurus

If Kolek were in the lineup I’d be a bit more hesitant, but without him I’m feeling pretty confident the Huskies pull off the season sweep tonight, even in a building where the Golden Eagles have lost just once this season. Check out this parlay 👇

• UConn -5.5 vs. Marquette: -102

• Over 150.5 Total Points: -118

$100 on this bet would win you $246 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win an Overtime hoodie*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: Although they haven’t won a Big East regular season title since 2013, Georgetown ranks second with 10

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Many will enter, one (1) will win. Void where prohibited. Open to legal US & DC residents 18 years or older. Prize is one Overtime hoodie. Approximate retail value (“ARV”): $65. Entries are accepted until 11:59 pm EST on the day after the bet hits. See Campaign Terms for additional terms. ©2023 Overtime Sports, Inc. All rights reserved.