March Madness Round 1: Western Kentucky vs Marquette Odds & Result
Game Looks to Be Fast-Paced Affair
Western Kentucky vs Marquette Final Score
In a first-round NCAA Tournament matchup, second-seeded Marquette overcame a slow start to defeat Western Kentucky 87-69. Marquette struggled in the first half, trailing by seven points at the break. However, they came alive in the second half, outscoring Western Kentucky by a significant margin. Key players for Marquette included Kam Jones, who led the team in scoring with 28 points, and Tyler Kolek, who returned from injury to contribute 18 points and 11 assists. This victory sends Marquette on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Hilltoppers vs Golden Eagles Preview
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (22-11) will face the Marquette Golden Eagles in a Friday afternoon South Region game. It’s the standard No. 2 vs No. 15 scenario, as on paper, Western Kentucky has no chance of winning the game. Stranger things have happened in March Madness, however, and Marquette will have to show up to play. For people who like up-and-down the court action, this could be played at the fastest tempo of any game on the NCAA tournament schedule. The Western Kentucky vs Marquette odds have the Golden Eagles favored by 14 points and the total is 158.5.
Hilltoppers vs Golden Eagles 
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Day/Time:
Streaming: TBS
Western Kentucky Climbing in Class
Most teams in the NCAA Tournament have at least played a couple of solid teams over the course of the season. That’s not the case for Western Kentucky. The toughest team the Hilltoppers have faced this season is Louisiana Tech, which is ranked No. 95 in the KenPom rankings. Marquette is ranked No. 12. Western Kentucky has fared well as an underdog, going 8-3 in that role and 19-11 ATS overall. The Hilltoppers are 15-15 in totals despite playing at the fastest pace of any team in college basketball.
One disadvantage to playing at Western Kentucky’s pace is turnovers. The Hilltoppers are ranked No. 266 in the nation, so they cough up the ball some. Western Kentucky can shoot the ball a little better than average and don’t shoot a lot of 3-pointers. The Hilltoppers score just 25% of their points from 3-point range. Western Kentucky was average at getting to the foul line.
The Hilltoppers aren’t bad defensively, although the pace of the offense doesn’t help their defensive numbers. Western Kentucky is above average in both 2-point and 3-point defense and can force some turnovers. The Hilltoppers send teams to the foul line a little too much and don’t block many shots, but are pretty solid for the most part.
Marquette Strong Offensively and Defensively
The Golden Eagles are one of the most well-rounded NCAA teams in the country. Marquette is ranked No. 19 offensively and No. 21 defensively in the KenPom efficiency ratings. The Golden Eagles are 20-14 against the spread, including a 16-9 record when favored. Marquette is 14-20 in totals and 2-4 when playing on a neutral court.
The Golden Eagles are No. 9 in average possession length, which coupled with Western Kentucky’s fast-paced offense could lead to a lot of possessions. That would appear to favored Marquette, which is a better shooting team. Marquette shoots 35.8% on 3-pointers and is No. 16 in the country on 2-pointers. The Golden Eagles don’t make many turnovers, but don’t get many offensive rebounds.
Marquette can force some turnovers defensively, although it also allows more than its share of offensive rebounds. The Golden Eagles are better than average inside or outside and will block a few shots. Marquette is a little better than average blocking shots and doesn’t send teams to the foul line too much.
What to Expect
Neither team is likely to change their style here, so you have to expect a lot of running. Western Kentucky will look to get the ball on the inside, while Marquette is more likely to try and take what the defense gives. There isn’t a huge difference in the offensive stats, although Marquette’s stars were compiled against much better teams. This has the potential to be one of the more entertaining college basketball games today. It could also get ugly.
Who to Bet On?
The Western Kentucky vs Marquette odds are about where you would expect. The Hilltoppers haven’t played any good teams, so how they’ll perform in this one is a bit of a mystery. It’s one thing to be an underdog against Jacksonville State. It’s something else entirely to be an underdog against Marquette. Western Kentucky is almost impossible to bet on here due to its schedule. If the Hilltoppers were able to pull off the shocker, a lot of people would see their NCAA basketball bracket go by the wayside, but it’s hard to picture that happening.
The Western Kentucky vs Marquette oddson the total is where it gets tricky. The winner of this game will play on Sunday. That makes you wonder how that could affect player rotation, especially if Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro‘s knee keeps him sidelined. The Golden Eagles don’t want to run for 40 minutes and have the team wore out a little bit for Sunday’s game. If Marquette gets a big lead, how it handles the last few minutes could determine the side and total.
The game looks like it has over written all over it, but in the NCAA Tournament things don’t always go as expected. There’s the slightest of value on the under and will have to lean that way in this game.
For odds to win March Madness, standings, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine
