The No. 10 seed Colorado Buffaloes aim for their first appearance in the regional semifinals since 1969 when they square off against the No. 2 seed Marquette Golden Eagles in the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Colorado (26-10) has posted consecutive victories in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1955, as it defeated Boise State in the First Four and won a 102-100 slugfest with Florida on Friday. Marquette (26-9) welcomed back senior guard Tyler Kolek after a six-game absence due to an oblique injury and got past Western Kentucky 87-69 in its first-round contest.
Tip-off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is set for 12:10 p.m. ET. The Golden Eagles are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Marquette vs. Colorado odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 149. Before making any Colorado vs. Marquette picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Marquette vs. Colorado and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for Colorado vs. Marquette:
- Marquette vs. Colorado spread: Golden Eagles -4.5
- Marquette vs. Colorado over/under: 149 points
- Marquette vs. Colorado money line: Golden Eagles -203, Buffaloes +167
- MAR: The Golden Eagles are 17-9 against the spread as favorites this season
- COL: The Buffaloes are 9-10 ATS in road or neutral-site games this campaign
- Marquette vs. Colorado picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Marquette can cover
The Golden Eagles were down by seven points after 20 minutes on Friday but outscored the Hilltoppers 51-26 in the second half, with Kam Jones leading the charge. The junior guard finished with a game-high 28 points as he was 10-for-16 from the floor and made five 3-pointers. Jones leads the team with an average of 17.1 points per game and has failed to reach double figures in only three of his 34 outings this season.
Junior guard Stevie Mitchell scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half and junior forward David Joplin recorded 10 of his 13 after intermission. Joplin also pulled down 11 rebounds to register the first double-double of his career. Senior guard Tyler Kolek, who missed Marquette's previous six contests with an oblique injury, notched his seventh double-double of the season as he recorded 18 points and 11 assists. Kolek matched the school record for most assists in an NCAA Tournament game set in 2003 by Dwyane Wade. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why Colorado can cover
The Buffaloes set the program record for most points in an NCAA Tournament game as they extended the single-season school mark with the 26th overall victory and 10th in 11 contests. All five starters scored in double figures against the Gators while freshman forward Cody Williams added nine points off the bench. Each starter also recorded at least four assists, making Colorado the first team to have five players with four or more in an NCAA Tournament contest since UNLV in 1990.
Junior guard KJ Simpson made a jumper with two seconds remaining in the second half to finish with a team-high 23 points. Senior center Eddie Lampkin Jr. scored 21 points and senior forward Tristan da Silva finished with 17 on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range. Senior guards J'Vonne Hadley and Luke O'Brien had 16 and 12 points, respectively, as the Buffaloes shot 63% from the field and were 28-for-33 from the free-throw line. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Marquette vs. Colorado picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 153 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 50% of simulations. You can see the picks only at SportsLine.
So who wins Marquette vs. Colorado, and which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Colorado vs. Marquette spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 148-106 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
