Marquette vs Butler Odds, Picks and Predictions: Can Eagles Soar to No. 1 Seed?

The Marquette Golden Eagles travel to meet the Butler Bulldogs in an important Big East matchup on Tuesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Marquette leads Providence and Xavier by two games in the conference standings with two regular-season games remaining, so a win means a regular-season championship. All that stands in the way is a sub-.500 Butler side.

Can Marquette complete the regular-season sweep of Butler and lock up the conference tournament’s No. 1 seed, or will Butler have the Golden Eagles sweat it out? We’ll discuss in our college basketball picks and predictions for Marquette vs. Butler on Tuesday, February 28.

Marquette vs Butler best odds

Marquette vs Butler picks and predictions

Marquette is looking for a Big East title on Tuesday night, and is a team with much greater aspirations. The Golden Eagles have risen to No. 6 nationally, and if things break a certain way, this is a team with a serious chance to be on the one- or two-line for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

However, if the Golden Eagles were to get tripped up by a team with a losing record, they could have all of those hopes washed away, facing a much tougher opening-round matchup. It’s a rather fine line, so Marquette needs to keep its foot on the gas.

The first meeting in Milwaukee was a defensive slog, with the Golden Eagles scratching out a 60-52 victory. Marquette shot 46% (22-of-48) from the field, while hitting 33% (7-of-21) from behind the 3-point line. Free-throw shooting was so-so, while the team turned it over 13 times.

In addition, Butler ended up outrebounding Marquette on the Golden Eagles’ home floor, which was rather surprising. That kept the Bulldogs in the game despite 17 turnovers, and a dismal 38% (19-of-50) shooting night. Jayden Taylor led the way with 19 points, but Butler had just two scorers in double digits.

The latter stat isn’t terribly surprising, as Butler has had issues scoring all season. In fact, Butler is among the worst offenses in the nation with just 65.6 PPG to rank No. 325 overall.

The Under is 8-0 in the past eight games for Butler, including the first meeting with Marquette. The Golden Eagles dropped 90 on DePaul last time out, but the Under is 2-1 in the past three outings. Look for another lower-scoring game, as Marquette starts out a little tight in this ultra-important road game.

My best bet: Under 142.5 (-105 at BetMGM)

Marquette vs Butler spread analysis

The Golden Eagles are favored by more than four buckets, and that’s rather high for a road team in the competitive Big East. As a favorite of 6.5 or more points, Marquette has covered just once in the past four games.

Marquette was a double-digit favorite against Butler in the first meeting, but it was a slow-go for both sides, and the Over was never close to being threatened.

While Marquette has covered four of the past five road games, it has had trouble doing so after straight-up wins. The Golden Eagles are just 1-4 ATS in the past five following a SU win.

Butler seems to rise to the occasion against the better teams. The Bulldogs are 10-3 ATS in the past 13 home games against teams with a winning road mark, which makes it rather surprising that the books have the Golden Eagles installed as a favorite of more than four buckets.

The underdog has cashed in five straight meetings, too. Back Butler lightly as it protects its home floor, trying hard to delay the Marquette title celebration.

Marquette vs Butler Over/Under analysis

The Golden Eagles don’t fool around on offense, rolling up 80.8 PPG to rank No. 17 in the nation, while hitting 49.3% of their field-goal attempts, No. 7 overall in that department.

However, it’s not all great for Marquette, as it’s just 35.4% from behind the arc, and a dismal 70.9% from the free-throw line, leaving a lot of points on the floor, which is maddening to Over bettors in tight games down the stretch.

Defensively, Marquette has been subpar, allowing 71.1 PPG. The opposition is hitting 45.3% from the field, and 35.6% from behind the arc, which is terrible for a so-called contender. And, for what it’s worth, the Under is 2-0 in the state of Indiana for Marquette so far this season.

As mentioned, Butler is bad offensively, but defensively it’s, well, a bulldog. This team allows just 67.2 PPG, while limiting teams to just 32.0% from behind the 3-point line. Look for Butler to keep Marquette well under its season averages, similar to the first game, as defense is its only chance to keep this one close. Under and the home side plus the points is a solid parlay opportunity.

Marquette vs Butler betting trend to know

The Under is 18-7-1 in the past 26 games overall for Butler, while cashing in five consecutive games at home. Find more college basketball betting trends for Marquette vs. Butler.

Marquette vs Butler game info

Marquette vs Butler key injuries

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