The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (19-11) travel to face off against the Marquette Golden Eagles (23-8) on Friday, March 22nd. This game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and televised on TBS. Western Kentucky is coming off a win in their previous game, while Marquette is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Connecticut. Tip-off is set for 2:00 ET.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Marquette Golden Eagles
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Are Coming Off A Win
Western Kentucky is 19-11 this season and has won four games in a row. They are 12-8 in Conference USA action and have gone 7-3 in non-conference games. On the road, the Hilltoppers are 7-7 this season, and their average scoring margin is +1.9.
As the underdog, Western Kentucky has gone 6-5 this season, and they are 14-6 when favored. In their last game, the Hilltoppers beat UTEP by a score of 78-71. Over their last 10 road games, Western Kentucky has gone 4-6, and they have lost their last three games away from home.
As the underdog, Western Kentucky has been a solid bet this season with an 8-3 record vs. the spread. On the road, the Hilltoppers have gone 9-5 ATS this year and are 6-4 in their last 10 road games vs. the spread. Overall, Western Kentucky has an ATS mark of 20-11 this season.
Western Kentucky’s over/under record for the season is 15-16, and over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1. In their last five games, the over/under record is 4-1, and over their last 10 games, the over/under record is 6-4. For the season, the average scoring total in their games is 152.9 points, and in their last three games, the average scoring total is 148 points.
The Marquette Golden Eagles Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Marquette will be looking to bounce back from a 73-57 loss to Connecticut in their last game. Over their last 10 games at home, the Golden Eagles have gone 8-2.
For the season, Marquette has a record of 19-3 at home, and they have gone 22-4 when favored. On the year, they have gone 23-8 overall.
Marquette has been a solid bet this season, going 21-13-1 against the spread. They have been even better vs. the spread at home, going 15-6-1. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Golden Eagles are a perfect 10-0 vs. the spread.
So far this season, the over/under record for Marquette games is 15-20. Today’s over/under line of 158.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this season (148.6). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 137 points compared to their season average of 148 points per game.
Western Kentucky Offense Breakdown
The Western Kentucky offense is coming off a game in which they scored 78 points vs. UTEP. Overall their field goal percentage was 46.6% while connecting on 3 threes. Donald McHenry is leading the team in scoring at 15.2 points per contest. Brandon Newman has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 10.5 going into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donald McHenry (G) | 15.2 | 3.3 | 2.4 |
| Brandon Newman (G) | 10.5 | 5.4 | 1.6 |
| Rodney Howard (F) | 10.0 | 4.8 | 0.8 |
Marquette Offense Breakdown
Marquette offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 57 points against Connecticut. In that game, they made 6/18 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 38.9%. The team’s scoring leader is Kam Jones, who holds an average of 16.8 as they head into today’s matchup. Additionally, Oso Ighodaro is averaging 14 points per game this season.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kam Jones (G) | 16.8 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
| Oso Ighodaro (F) | 14.0 | 6.9 | 2.9 |
| Tyler Kolek (G) | 15.0 | 4.7 | 7.6 |
Western Kentucky Team Defense
So far, the Hilltoppers’ defense is ranked 225th in the country at 73.5 points per contest. The Western Kentucky defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 71 points and allowed UTEP to connect on 3 threes.
Marquette Team Defense
So far, the Golden Eagles’ defense is ranked 102nd in the country at 69.7 points per contest. The Marquette defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 73 points and allowed Connecticut to connect on 7 threes.
Hilltoppers vs Golden Eagles Trends
- Through their last three road contests, the Hilltoppers offense has averaged 78 points per game while allowing an average of 80. Western Kentucky posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 1-2 ATS.
- In their last ten games at home, the Golden Eagles have a straight up record of 6-4 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 75 points per game in this stretch.
- As the betting underdog, the Hilltoppers have an ATS record of 3-0 in their last three games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 2-1.
- Through their last three games as the favorite, the Golden Eagles have an ATS record of 3-0 and a straight up mark of 3-0.
Hilltoppers vs Golden Eagles Prediction
For a point-spread bet in this Golden Eagles vs. Golden Eagles matchup, we’re leaning towards the Golden Eagles at -14. Although our projections show the Golden Eagles winning 76-69, we suggest placing your bet on the Hilltoppers for the point-spread.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 158.5, and our model predicts the Hilltoppers and Golden Eagles to score a combined 145 points. We recommend betting on the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 19, 2024 Marquette Golden Eagles, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers