- Online sportsbooks confident in Villanova even with loss to Marquette
- Golden Eagles win fifth in a row but still have long-shot odds to win league
- UConn romps over Butler for second time this week
Marquette guard Justin Lewis hit a three with 11 seconds remaining to lift the Golden Eagles over Villanova, 57-54. Lewis ended the Wildcats’ 29-game winning streak as it pushed Villanova into a three-way tie for second and left Providence in the Big East.
Final:
Marquette 57 – Villanova 54— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) January 20, 2022
Marquette held Villanova to 37.9 percent from the floor and made 13-of-29 three-point shots. Lewis made 5-of-8 while Greg Elliott made 4-of-6 triples.
"????????? ??? ????? ??? ? ???? ?? ????. ?? ?????? ?? ???? ??????? ???????."
Justin Lewis and @MarquetteMBB did just that! #mubb x #BIGEASThoops pic.twitter.com/vENF0khnsx
— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) January 20, 2022
Nevertheless, the sportsbooks still favor Villanova in the Big East as the Wildcats are getting (-145) odds. The Wildcats are at (+400) to get to the Final Four while seventh in odds to win the national championship at (+1800).
Marquette has renewed life as it has won five in a row now in Big East play as they have held those last five opponents to around 37 percent from the field while those five opponents only have shot a combined 27.6 percent.
The Golden Eagles are led by Lewis (15.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and Maryland transfer Darryl Morsell (13.6 ppg, 3.6 RPG). Marquette leads the Big East in three-balls in their eight games at 39.7 percent while Greg Elliott has knocked down 15-of-29 and Kameron Jones has hit 15-of-31.
MU has the sixth-best odds to win the Big East at (+2500) after starting the season at (+3500). The Golden Eagles are (+4000) to make it to the Finals Four and (+18000) to cur the nets in New Orleans.
Took the fight to them! #MUBB | #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/2ba32QbW96
— Marquette Basketball (@MarquetteMBB) January 20, 2022
The Wildcats are an inside-out oriented team as they lead the Big East by shooting 52.1 percent inside the arc, and they only average 9.4 turnovers (7th fewest/NCAA).
The backcourt of Collin Gillespie (16.7 ppg, 3.3 apg) and Justin Moore (15.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg) lead this team as Gillespie is a sixth-year player, who took advantage of the covid relief for an extra season that was offered by the NCAA.
Jermaine Samuels (10.2 ppg., 6.5 rpg) and Eric Dixon (9.3 ppg, 6.2) are athletic bigs that often create mismatches with their length and athleticism.
Villanova has covered the OVER in four of the eight Big East games as an OVER has been followed by an UNDER in all of those. If the trend continues, Saturday’s number should go OVER.
#️⃣3️⃣ Right back to work@joshhart | @PelicansNBA https://t.co/H20znSCXyk
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) January 21, 2022
The Golden Eagles are 4-3-1 ATS in Big East play and they have covered the spread in the last five games.
Huskies Bite Butler
UConn defeated Butler, 75-56, after beating the Bulldogs by nearly the same score, 79-56, earlier in the week in Storrs, Conn.
Danny Hurley has a strong offensive team as the Huskies put up 75.8 points per game (4th/Big East), led by guard RJ Cole, who scores 15.7 points per game. and Sanogo (15.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg).
UConn carries (+600) odds to win the Big East which is down from (+380) while the struggling Bulldogs are looking up at the entire league with a (+25000) number.
??? ???? ??? 4️⃣
Back in Gampel on Tuesday‼️#ThisIsUConn | #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/y7Y47NjXfk
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) January 21, 2022
The calling card for UConn is on the glass where the Huskies outrebound opponents, 42.2-34-2, on average as the 42.2 boards are the seventh most in the country.
UConn is 11-4-0 ATS as a favorite and 5-1-0 ATS vs. Big East competition and have covered four of their last five ATS.
Also, Creighton has odds to win the Big East at (+1000) and St. John’s sits with a (+3000) number.
