NCAA Basketball: DePaul at Connecticut
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The No. 1 seed Marquette Golden Eagles will face the No. 4 seed Connecticut Huskies in the semifinals of the 2023 Big East Tournament on Friday evening. Marquette closed the regular season with six straight wins before beating St. John's in overtime on Thursday. Connecticut extended its winning streak to six games with a 73-66 victory against Providence in the quarterfinals.  

Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. The Huskies are favored by 3.5 points in the latest Marquette vs. UConn odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 147. Before entering any UConn vs. Marquette picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters conference tournament week at 76-51 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,200 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Marquette vs. Connecticut. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Connecticut vs. Marquette:

  • Marquette vs. UConn spread: UConn -3.5
  • Marquette vs. UConn over/under: 147 points
  • Marquette vs. UConn money line: Marquette 143, UConn -170
  • Marquette vs. UConn picks: See picks here

Why Marquette can cover

Marquette has made it back to the semifinals of the Big East Tournament for the first time since 2019 and the fourth time overall, extending its winning streak to seven games with an overtime win against St. John's on Thursday. The Golden Eagles erased a 14-point deficit in the first half and a 10-point halftime deficit. Tyler Kolek scored all 19 of his points following the intermission, including seven in overtime when he made five free throws. 

They were able to overcome their third-lowest shooting percentage of the season and weather an off day from leading scorer Kam Jones, who was held to 11 points on 4 of 16 shooting. Jones scored 15 second-half points in an 82-76 win over UConn on Jan. 11, and he averages 15.1 points per game. Marquette has covered the spread in four of its last six games as an underdog. 

Why UConn can cover

UConn is familiar with this stage of the tournament, as it has appeared in the semifinals in three straight seasons. The Huskies held a 26-point lead with 12.5 minutes remaining in their 73-66 win over Providence in the quarterfinals. Jordan Hawkins scored 19 points, while Tristen Newton had 16 points with four 3-pointers, allowing UConn to overcome 18 turnovers. 

The Huskies led Marquette by 17 points at halftime of their 87-72 win in the rematch on Feb. 7, with Hawkins leading five double-digit scorers with 20 points. Junior forward Adama Sanogo paces UConn with 16.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while Hawkins (16.5) and Newton (10.3) are both in double figures as well. They have covered the spread in five straight games and are unbeaten in their last nine games as favorites. 

How to make Marquette vs. UConn picks

The model has simulated Connecticut vs. Marquette 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Marquette vs. Connecticut? And which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 76-51 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.