Providence vs. Marquette Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Wednesday, Feb. 28 (Back the Friars)
Providence is trying to play its way into an NCAA Tournament berth in the first year of the Kim English era. The Friars, winners of three straight, are one of the last four in, per ESPN’s latest bracketology projections, and would mightily strengthen its March Madness resume with an upset of No. 5 Marquette Wednesday night.
The Golden Eagles have won 10 of their last 11 after a 2-3 start to Big East play. Marquette, the reigning conference champions, were blown out by UConn, 81-53, Feb. 17, but bounced back with blowout wins at Fiserv Forum over DePaul and Xavier. Can they get it done as big favorites Wednesday night against the visiting Friars?
Here’s the betting breakdown of the Big East battle with a best bet.
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Providence vs. Marquette Odds, Spread and Total
Providence vs. Marquette Betting Trends
- Providence and Marquette are 16-10-1 ATS this season
- Providence is 9-2 ATS as an underdog this season
- Marquette is 12-9 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 12-14-1 in Providence games this season
- The OVER is 10-17 in Marquette games this season
Providence vs. Marquette How to Watch
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 28
- Game time: 7 p.m. EST
- Venue: Fiserv Forum
- How to watch (TV): FS1
- Providence record: 18-9 (9-7 Big East)
- Marquette record: 21-6 (12-4 Big East)
Providence vs. Marquette Key Players to Watch
Providence
Devin Carter: Things looked bleak in Rhode Island when Providence lost star forward Bryce Hopkins to a season-ending knee injury Jan. 3, but Carter, a 6-foot-3 junior guard, has stepped up. Carter leads the Big East in scoring (19.3 points per game) and is coming off back-to-back big double-doubles against DePaul (31 points, 13 rebounds) and Xavier (22 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists). This is a matchup of two Big East Player of the Year nominees in Carter and Marquette’s Tyler Kolek.
Marquette
Kam Jones: Kolek, the Big East’s assists leader, has had a fun time feeding Jones, a junior guard who was a starter on Marquette’s conference-champion squad a year ago. Jones posted a career-high 34 points Feb. 21 in a win over DePaul, then matched that total against Xavier on Sunday on 11-of-17 shooting. He’s hit 14 three-pointers over those last two games.
Providence vs. Marquette Prediction and Pick
Marquette is one of nine teams in KenPom ranked in the top-25 in both offensive (No. 24) and defensive efficiency (12). The Golden Eagles are experienced with several returners from last year’s team that was a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and that’s paid dividends down the stretch as they recovered from a slow start. Marquette’s defense might have the No. 12 defense, but the Golden Eagles are just above average in most metrics outside of forcing turnovers (No. 11).
Offensively, Providence struggles from beyond the arc (No. 229), but ranks No. 30 in shooting from 2-point range with Carter and forward Josh Oduro combining for 35.8 points per game. The Friars offense can hang around and their defense is one of the best in the nation (No. 18 in KenPom). Providence matches up well against the Golden Eagles’ offense. Marquette is No. 10 in 2-point shooting and Providence is No. 19 defending shots from inside the arc. The Friars held Marquette to 32.1% shooting and forced 14 turnovers in a 72-57 home win Dec. 19.
Providence has been stellar getting points this season (9-2 ATS) and 7-2 ATS on the road, winning three times outright on the road. Providence is well-rested after a week off and Marquette has a look-ahead spot with two ranked opponents on deck (at Creighton, vs. UConn). Take the points with the Friars.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.