Marquette vs Providence prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball
12/31/2024 10:08 AM
It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Marquette-Providence prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Marquette-Providence.
There is lots of conference action in college basketball on the final day of 2024. Marquette and Providence provide one of the better conference games you will find on the slate.
Providence does not have a good overall record, hovering near the .500 mark, but we have to remember that Providence’s terrible first month of the season was the product of an injury to star big man and Kentucky transfer Bryce Hopkins. As soon as Hopkins returned to the lineup, Providence became a much better team, hammering BYU and being competitive on a high level. Don’t look at Providence’s record and think the Friars are dramatically inferior in a comparison with Marquette.
Speaking of Marquette, the Golden Eagles have the makings of a good team, but we have not seen the consistency of an elite team just yet. Marquette can play on even terms with some of the big boys in college basketball, but there always seems to be a seven- or eight-minute sequence in many games in which the Golden Eagles struggle. They were right there with Iowa State midway through the second half but then got dominated down the stretch and lost. They outplayed Dayton on the road in the first half but then got smoked in the second half. Marquette has played a lot of 25-minute games this season, being absolutely fantastic for roughly half or two-thirds of a game but then faltering in a 10-to-15-minute portion of play. Marquette has to find a way of turning its 25-minute identity into a 40-minute identity, and we are going to talk about this more below in the spread-covering portion of our betting preview.
Here are the Marquette-Providence College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Marquette-Providence Odds
Marquette: -5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -230
Providence: +5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +188
Over: 142.5 (-105)
Under: 142.5 (-115)
How to Watch Marquette vs Providence
Time: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
TV: FS1
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Marquette Will Cover The Spread/Win
The thought process behind taking Marquette minus the points is that the Golden Eagles do consistently put themselves in position to cover spreads. They were covering the spread against Iowa State midway through the second half. They were easily covering the spread early in the second half at Dayton. They were covering the spread for most of their recent Big East road game at Xavier. Marquette has not had a problem building a lead or at least building a substantial margin relative to the spread in a lot of its high-profile games. All this team needs to do is finish the job. Marquette is a better team than Providence. Marquette has already won on the road in Big East play at Xavier. The Golden Eagles will not be intimidated. They will finish the job this time and win by eight or nine points.
Why Providence Will Cover The Spread/Win
Marquette doesn’t finish the job. Marquette had a healthy working margin against Xavier on the road in a game we previewed here at ClutchPoints. The spread was the exact same, as was the moneyline price.
Marquette led 63-50 with six minutes left, seemingly well on its way to covering the spread. The Golden Eagles controlled the first 34 minutes of the game. If you were a bettor and had Marquette, the Golden Eagles were the right side in this game. Yet, they crumbled in the next few minutes. Xavier uncorked a 14-0 run for a 64-63 lead before Marquette was able to rescue the game — but not the cover — in a 72-70 thriller.
This is what Marquette does. The Golden Eagles do not cover spreads against good teams. They have fallen short consistently this season. There are regularly several minutes in which MU wobbles. Not covering minus-5.5 points at Xavier is a great template for this game and for a Providence spread bet.
Final Marquette-Providence Prediction & Pick
We just have to stay away from Marquette games right now. This team is too much of a live wire with the inconsistency bettors can’t afford to rely on.
Final Marquette-Providence Prediction & Pick: Providence +5.5
The post Marquette vs Providence prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
