Vermont vs Marquette March Madness Betting Preview: Golden Eagles Ready to Soar
Winning Streak On the Line When Marquette Meets Vermont in East Region
Big East Champion Marquette Goes After Its 10th Win In a Row
Two teams playing their best basketball are set to square off in a 2-15 game in the East Region.
Vermont has won 15 straight games after winning three games in the America East tournament by an average of 20.3 points. Marquette won the Big East tournament for the first time, surviving in overtime against St. John’s, edging UConn and then using a big first half to top Xavier in the championship game.
When it comes to the Vermont vs Marquette March Madness betting guide, the Big East champions are the overwhelming favorites.
Marquette tested itself with games against Purdue and Baylor before conference play started. Vermont nearly topped USC and also faced Saint Mary’s in non-conference games.
Vermont: Working the Portal
Vermont used the transfer portal to put it in a position to return to the NCAA tournament.
Leading scorer Dylan Penn came in from Bellarmine and averaged 23.3 points inthe three games in the conference tournament, former San Diego guard Finn Sullivan made a huge jump in his second season with the Catamounts and Delaware transfer Matt Veretto is another key contributor.
Not all the key players are new arrivals. Senior Aaron Deloney is a double-digit scorer off the bench. Even with their presence, the Catamounts are the underdogs when it comes to the Vermont vs Marquette March Madness betting guide.
Vermont is one of the worst teams in the tournament field in defensive efficiency, according to the kenpom.com database so keep that in mind when looking at the odds to win March Madness.
How They Got Here
Vermont made it clear that it was the team to beat in a one-bid league. The Catamounts didn’t trail by more than two points in the first two games in the America East tournament before facing an eight-point deficit against a UMass-Lowell team that was the top scoring team in the conference.
Since topping Maine on Jan. 19, Vermont hasn’t lost with 11 of the 15 wins by double digits.
Vermont has 8-2-1 against the college basketball betting lines in its last 11 games.
How Far Will They Go
This doesn’t figure to be an extended stay for the Catamounts with the way Marquette is playing right now as Vermont will struggle to add to its total of two NCAA tournament victories.
When looking at the March Madness bets, Vermont is priced at +100000 to win the national championship.
Marquette: Golden Eagles Looking to Soar
Winning nine games in a row in a conference like the Big East is nothing to overlook.
Kam Jones is one of four double-digit scorers, but it is point guard Tyler Kolek who makes this team go. He has at least twice as many assists as turnovers in five of the last six games as he gets the ball to his teammates at the right time. Winning in March has always been about elite guard play and the Golden Eagles have that.
Marquette has won its last six games decided by six points or less and that is something to consider when it comes to the Vermont vs Marquette March Madness betting guide.
The top six scorers were also on the team last season and that continuity should be invaluable as the degree of difficulty increases.
How They Got Here
It is hard to figure out exactly how Marquette pulled out the Big East quarterfinal matchup against St. John’s when the Red Storm led by as many as 14 points. It was another nail-biter against UConn before Marquette looking like a national title contender in the title game.
It doesn’t always look pretty but Shaka Smart knows how to get his team playing well at this time of the year and there is a toughness about Golden Eagles’ team.
Marquette will get mentioned as a potential Final Four team and are priced at +2000 to win the national title according to the college basketball championship odds.
Marquette has covered against the NCAA basketball odds in just its last five of its last 11 games.
How Far Will They Go
This is a team that could be playing for a while. Marquette is second in the Big East in scoring offense. The defense can be a little shaky at times so that is something to consider, especially with potential matchups with Michigan State and either Kentucky or Kansas State before entertaining the thoughts of facing top-seeded Purdue.
Handicapping the Game
Marquette goes after its 10th straight win and this is a team loaded with confidence.
Marquette loves to push the pace so keep an eye on the total of 144.
Eight of the Golden Eagles’ top nine players played in all 34 games this season as Marquette has avoided injury issues. It should be all hands on deck for Vermont as well.
The 11-point line is one of the larger spreads and Marquette has failed to cover in three of the last four games when listed as a double-digit favorite.
Marquette is 21-12-1 against the spread, the second-best mark in the Big East. Vermont is 20-12-1 so this is a matchup featuring two of the better teams against the spread in the tournament. (Odds change frequently, be sure to check for the most up to date changes.)
Follow us on Twitter
