Marquette vs. Notre Dame College Basketball Odds
| Marquette Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -114 | 144.5 -110o / -110u | -125 |
| Notre Dame Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -106 | 144.5 -110o / -110u | +104 |
On Sunday, one of the best teams in the nation at forcing turnovers will face off against one of the best in limiting turnovers as the Marquette Golden Eagles take on the Notre Dame fighting Irish.
Shaka Smart's squad heads to South Bend at 7-3 on the season with an impressive win over Baylor. But they've also come up just short against top 50 teams including Purdue, Mississippi State and Wisconsin, losing to all three by a combined 11 points.
Notre Dame is looking to get another win streak going after losing two of their last four games following a 5-0 start to the season. The Irish had been dominant at home prior to dropping a close game against Syracuse in which neither team led by more than five at any point.
The Irish defense has struggled this season; can they step up at home against 11th highest scoring team in the nation?
Marquette Golden Eagles
The Golden Eagles have been one of the best offensive teams in the country, averaging 82.5 points per game while hitting 47.8% from the floor. Four different players have averaged double digits for Marquette with Kam Jones leading the way at 15.5 points per game.
Marquette could face resistance at the rim against a Notre Dame team ranked 35th in average height. But the Irish have still allowed teams to hit 61.9% from close range and 73.9% at the rim.
Marquette's defense, as previously mentioned, has been elite, averaging 9.3 steals per game and forcing opponents into 16.6 turnovers per contest, both of which rank among the top 50 teams in the nation. The Golden Eagles can do more than force turnovers, though; they've held teams to just 67.8 points per game and just 42.3% from the floor.
Fouling hasn't been a major issue for Marquette with just 16.9 per game, but one thing they they won't see against Notre Dame is the 19 free throw attempts per game they've had. Notre Dame leads the nation with just 11.1 fouls per contest.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Big Question for Notre Dame against Marquette is: how are they going to stop this Golden Eagles offense? The Irish are holding teams to just 67.8 points per game, but they've allowed teams to post an effective field goal percentage of 51.3%, ranked 227th in the nation.
One major area of concern against Marquette is from 3-point range. The Golden Eagles are averaging 9.3 made three-pointers per game and see 33.8% of their scoring come from beyond the arc. Notre Dame ranks outside the top 200 allowing teams to hit from 35% from beyond the arc.
Offensively, Notre Dame has been solid, even among the best when it comes to efficiency, ranking 31st in effective field goal percentage. But Marquette's defense, as a I mentioned, has proven they can cause problems for even some of the most dynamic offenses in college basketball, holding Baylor to just 70 points and Purdue to just 75.
Marquette vs. Notre Dame Betting Pick
The Marquette defense will be too much for Notre Dame, while even if the Golden Eagles struggle around the rim and off the glass, they should still find plenty of success from three point range.
South Bend will definitely be a hostile environment for the Golden Eagles, but I don't see it being anything they can't handle. I'd back the Golden Eagles up to a -1.5 favorite.
Pick: Marquette -1.5
