The No. 24 Connecticut Huskies are eyeing a season sweep over the No. 18 Marquette Golden Eagles when they meet in a key Big East Conference matchup on Tuesday night in Hartford, Conn. The Huskies (15-6, 6-4) defeated the Golden Eagles 78-70 at Milwaukee in December. UConn, which has lost two in a row, has played well on its home court, going 9-2 there this season. The Golden Eagles (16-7, 8-4), who are 4-3 on the road, are 8-1 over their past nine games.
The game from XL Center is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET. Marquette is averaging 74.1 points per game, while UConn averages 78.0. The Huskies are 6.5-point favorites in the latest Marquette vs. UConn odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 139.5. Before making any UConn vs. Marquette picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,300 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Marquette vs. Connecticut, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Connecticut vs. Marquette:
- Marquette vs. UConn spread: UConn -6.5
- Marquette vs. UConn over-under: 139.5 points
- Marquette vs. UConn money line: UConn -270, Marquette +220
- MAR: The Golden Eagles are 9-0 against the spread in their last nine games overall
- CONN: The Huskies are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 Tuesday games
Why UConn can cover
Senior guard Tyrese Martin will look to equal his last performance against Marquette. In the Dec. 21 meeting, Martin finished with 25 points and six rebounds. For the season, Martin is averaging 13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He is connecting on 47.8 percent of his field goals, including a blistering 43.8 percent from 3-point range. He scored 14 points against Villanova on Saturday, and has two double-doubles on the season, including a 16-point, 12-rebound effort against Michigan State on Nov. 25. He scored a season-high 27 points in a 75-56 win at Butler on Jan. 20.
Senior forward Tyler Polley continues to be one of UConn's top free-throw shooters, hitting on 89.5 percent of his foul shots. For the season, he is averaging eight points and two rebounds per game. Polley has reached double-figure scoring eight times, including a season-high 24 in a 115-109 double-overtime win over Auburn on Nov. 24. For his career, he has played in 123 games for the Huskies, averaging 6.8 points and two rebounds per game. He is one of the team's key contributors off the bench.
Why Marquette can cover
After starting the season 8-6, the Golden Eagles have been on a tear and are within striking distance of the top spot in the Big East. Redshirt freshman Justin Lewis is a big part of the reason for that. He leads the Golden Eagles in scoring (16.6 points) and rebounding (7.9), while also averaging 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He has reached double-figure scoring in each of the last nine games, including a 33-point performance in a 73-63 win at Seton Hall on Jan. 26. He has five double-doubles, and poured in 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the first game against UConn.
Also powering Marquette is graduate transfer guard Darryl Morsell. He is averaging 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is connecting on 45.1 percent of his field goals, including 37.8 percent from 3-point range, and 83.1 percent of his free throws. He is coming off a 15-point effort against Villanova. His best offensive output were a pair of 26-point performances – once against Seton Hall on Jan. 15 and the other against New Hampshire on Nov. 12.
How to make Marquette vs. UConn picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 145 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the model's UConn vs. Marquette pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Marquette vs. UConn? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Marquette vs. UConn spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $2,300 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
