Marquette vs. Xavier Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Saturday, December 21

Reed Wallach | 5 Hours Ago

Dec 18, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Marquette Golden Eagles guard Kam Jones (1) drives for the basket against Butler Bulldogs guard Finley Bizjack (13) during the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Xavier has had a doozy of a week, losing star big man Zach Freemantle to injury and nearly taking down two-time defending National Champions Connecticut on the road without him. 

The Musketeers tough BIg Esat stretch continues with a matchup against Marquette, who brings a ton of ball pressure and a frenetic offense led by National Player of the Year candidate Kam Jones. Can Xavier settle down from the long week and compete for a signature victory? 

Here’s our betting preview. 

Marquette vs. Xavier Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Marquette: -3.5 (-114)
• Xavier: +3.5 (-106)

Moneyline

• Marquette: -170
• Xavier: +140

Total: 152.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Marquette vs. Xavier How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, December 21
• Game Time: 12:00 PM EST
• Venue: Cintas Center
• How to Watch (TV): FOX
• Marquette Record: 10-2
• Xavier Record: 8-4

Marquette vs. Xavier Key Players to Watch

Marquette

Kam Jones: Jones has stepped into the featured role of the Marquette offense and has thrived, averaging more than 20 points per game with more than six assists and nearly five rebounds. The guard will try to keep this Marquette offense on track in a hostile road game.

Xavier

Ryan Conwell: Conwell stepped into a more featured role with Freemantle out and thrived, pouring in 23 points on 69% shooting from the field against UConn. The Indiana State transfer has been a welcome addition to Xavier, averaging 17 points per game while shooting 45% from beyond the arc. 

Marquette vs. Xavier Prediction and Pick

Xavier has been shooting the cover off the ball, up to 40% from 3 which is good for top 10 in the country, but without Freemantle to work inside and out I believe the team is going to run out of counters on the offensive side after a big bounce against UConn. 

Further, the Xavier defense is going to struggle to slow down the elite Marquette offense that runs at a fast pace and can score both inside and out with Jones proving to be one of the most prolific scorers in the country. 

The Xavier defense has struggled to contain penetration all season, and the team’s defense is considerably worse with Freemantle off the floor. 

Against a heavy-ball pressure Marquette defense (top 10 in the country in turnover rate) I think we see too much firepower on the Golden Eagles side against the short-handed Musketeers. While Xavier showed up in a big way as massive underdogs at UConn, this game implies that the team will need to be competitive throughout and live for a win, which I don’t think the team has the roster to at the moment. 

I’ll lay it with the road favorite. 

PICK: Marquette -3.5

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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