Who's Playing
Vermont @ Marquette
Regular Season Records: Vermont 23-10; Marquette 28-6
What to Know
The Vermont Catamounts and the #6 Marquette Golden Eagles are set to clash at 2:45 p.m. ET March 17 at Nationwide Arena in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Catamounts will be seeking to avenge the 91-81 loss they suffered the last time these two teams played Dec. 5 of 2017.
Vermont had enough points to win and then some against the UMass Lowell River Hawks on Saturday, taking their contest 72-59. Four players on Vermont scored in the double digits: guard Dylan Penn (21), forward Matt Veretto (15), guard Finn Sullivan (14), and guard Aaron Deloney (10). Veretto had some trouble finding his footing against the Binghamton Bearcats last week, so this was a step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles earned some more postseason success in their matchup on Saturday. They enjoyed a cozy 65-51 win over the Xavier Musketeers. It was another big night for Marquette's guard Tyler Kolek, who had 20 points along with eight rebounds.
Vermont is the clear underdog, so they're hoping it's the size of the fight that determines this one. They are currently three-for-three against the spread in their most recent games, however, a trend bettors might want to take into account.
Two stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Vermont enters the game with only 9.3 turnovers per game on average, good for fifth best in college basketball. But the Golden Eagles rank 18th in college basketball when it comes to takeaways, with 16.1 on average. These opposing strengths should make for an exciting matchup.
How To Watch
- When: Friday at 2:45 p.m. ET
- Where: Nationwide Arena -- Columbus, Ohio
- TV: CBS
- Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds
The Golden Eagles are a big 10.5-point favorite against the Catamounts, according to the latest college basketball odds.
Bettors have moved against the Golden Eagles slightly, as the game opened with the Golden Eagles as a 12.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
Marquette won the only game these two teams have played in the last nine years.
- Dec 05, 2017 - Marquette 91 vs. Vermont 81