Marquette vs. West Virginia Betting Odds Still Have Mountaineers at -1
Carrie Stroup here and we have a very limited slate of important games this Friday evening but there is a good one with Marquette vs. West Virginia betting odds sitting right around even. The Mountaineers were slight 1-point favorites. You can find all the latest College Basketball odds at Sportsbook.com here.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: West Virginia -1 & 143.5
Opening Line & Total: WVU -1.5 & 144
No. 10 Marquette looks to grab its first-ever victory in Morgantown and maintain a hold of second place in the Big East as the Golden Eagles take on slumping West Virginia on Friday night.
The Golden Eagles are quickly becoming the most dangerous and explosive team in the Big East—winners of four consecutive games (SU and ATS) by an average margin of 15.5 points per game. All three of Marquette’s conference losses came on the road to the three other schools currently in the top four of the Big East standings (Syracuse, Notre Dame and Georgetown), and the Golden Eagles are 4-0 ATS as a road underdog this year. West Virginia hopes to bounce back from an ugly 71-44 loss at Notre Dame on Wednesday and avoid losing four consecutive home games for the first time since the 2002-03 season. The Mountaineers are 1-5 ATS over their last six, and haven’t won a home game since a 77-74 overtime victory over Cincinnati on January 21. WVU is also 1-6 SU against ranked opponents this season. This line reflects the desperation and hunger Vegas expects from West Virginia—currently on the NCAA Tournament bubble—but betting on a team solely because it is a “must-win” is rarely a strong basis for making a pick.
In a conference chock-full of superstars, unheralded Marquette senior forward Jae Crowder (17.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG) is quickly make a case for Big East Player of the Year honors. Crowder has been sensational in his past three games, averaging 26.3 PPG, including a career-high 29 in a 79-64 victory over UConn last Saturday. At 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, Crowder is built like a truck and is a matchup nightmare because of his ability to play in the post or on the perimeter. Despite being the de facto “big man” on an undersized Marquette squad, Crowder shoots an impressive 38.5 percent from three-point range. Senior guard Darius Johnson-Odom (18.7 PPG, 2nd in Big East) creates tons of space for Crowder as the court leader of this Golden Eagles team, and at 215 pounds, is not afraid to drive the lane and create contact. Marquette may be small in height, but in terms of muscle, few teams in the Big East stack up.
Six-foot-8 senior Kevin Jones (20.3 PPG, 11.2 RPG) is the Big East’s leading scorer, and presents a terrific matchup for Crowder. Jones and Crowder are extremely similar players—versatile forwards who can play a dangerous inside-outside game. Both are usually matchup nightmares for opponents, but Jones might be the one player in the Big East with the size and athleticism to slow down Crowder. Head coach Bob Huggins will need him and forward Deniz Kilicli (11.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG) to crash the boards and double-team Crowder to slow down Marquette’s electric fast-break offense. The Mountaineers rank 23rd in the nation in rebound margin (+6.0 RPG), and by limiting Crowder’s effectiveness, the Mountaineers will put the scoring burden on the shoulders of Johnson-Odom, who will have an interesting matchup of his own against physical senior guard Darryl “Truck” Bryant (16.5 PPG). There’s no question West Virginia is the type of team that matches up well with Marquette, and it will be important for the Mountaineers to knock some shots down early to get the crowd into the game.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
