GeorgetowN Hoyas vs. Marquette Golden Eagles Preview and Pick

Georgetown Hoyas (23-4), +3.5, o/u 129.5 @ Marquette Golden Eagles, -3.5, o/u 129.5, Bradley Center, Milwaukee, CISC., Saturday, 2 p.m. Eastern

By Oracle of Predictem.com

It's the battle of two ranked teams when 21st ranked Marquette host the 10th ranked Georgetown Hoyas on Saturday at the Bradley Center in a game televised on CBS.

Marquette has looked like everyone thought they would earlier in the year, winning five straight games by an impressive average of 18.4 points. The Golden Eagles were on the verge of getting booted from the Top 25, but have come together with a nice run over the past three weeks.

With the Golden Eagles a 3.5-point favorite, according to most Vegas sportsbooks, most bettors would salivate at the spread. However, with the Georgetown Hoyas coming to town, it'll make bettors think twice. The over/under stands at 129.5 as well.

Although Georgetown hasn't looked dominant basically all year long, they still hold a 23-4 overall record. They're currently on a three-game winning streak and are tied with Louisville for the Big East lead.

The knock on Marquette all year long is that while they have athletes running up and down the court, they don't have a big man in the middle. This fact may come to haunt them, as senior Roy Hibbert looks to make a big impact down low. For being 7-feet 2-inches tall, Hibbert scores a quiet 13.4 points per game, along with grabbing 6.4 rebounds, blocking 2.3 shots and shooting over 60 percent form the field – all stats that lead the team.

Hibbert's impact, though, is felt more defensively than offensively many times. The Hoyas hold teams to 36.1% shooting, good enough for best in the country. They also give up just 57.4 points per game – 4th in the nation.

With Marquette not having a big man down low, look for them to double team Hibbert whenever possible. This will mean that senior guard Jonathan Wallace will have to come up big for the Hoyas. Wallace is averaging an even 10 points per game and is shooting 43.2% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, DaJuan Summer could pose another match up problem for Marquette. His 6-8 frame is long and athletic. Summer has found a groove as of late, too, scoring in double figures in 6 of 7 games, including a team-high 21 in a 64-52 win against St. John's on Wednesday.

The Hoyas are just 10-14 ATS on the year, but are 6-6 on the road. Meanwhile, the over has come in just twice in 12 road games.

Marquette's contrasting style of play sees them sprinting up and down the court whenever possible. They will use their athletic guards, such as Dominica James (13.1 points), Lazar Hayward (13.4 points) and Jerel McNeal (13.4 points) to try to counter the slow-paced attack of the Hoyas.

James, who was actually pondering whether to enter the NBA draft just a year ago, has struggled all year long, shooting just 33% from beyond the arc and 41% on the year. However, his season high 25-point night, along with four assists and six steals, helped the Golden Eagles take care of an upset-minded Villanova on Monday in an 85-75 win.

This may be the spark Marquette needed, as they have done well for bettors overall on the year with a 12-8 record against the spread.

This is a game where bettors will really have to look for trends. Marquette is 5-0 ATS in its past five games where they are the favorite, and 6-0 ATS in its past six overall games.

The Hoyas, on the other hand, like being dogs on the road, having a 15-5-1 record ATS when dogs of .5 to 6.5. But Georgetown is just 1-5 ATS after a SU win.

The under likes both of these teams if bettors wanted to stay away from the spread. The under is 4-0 for Marquette in its past five home games where they are the favorite. The under is 7-1 in Georgetown's last 8 road games.

Oracle's Pick: With two good defenses, no doubt this game will be low scoring. Marquette comes out fired up at home and covers. Take Marquette minus the points.

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