WKU (15) vs. Marquette (2) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
The first round game in Indianapolis has Marquette opening as a 14.5-point favourite on the college basketball odds.
WKU vs. Marquette NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
The winner of this game faces No. 7 Florida or No. 10 Boise State/Colorado in the second round. The Broncos and Buffs play in the First Four and that winner then faces the Gators in the first round.
At-large Marquette of the Big East is making its 36th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and is participating in a third-consecutive event for first time since 2012-13. Western Kentucky got Conference USA’s automatic bid by winning the league tournament this past Saturday over UTEP. It is WKU’s 24th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the first since 2013.
It will be just the second meeting between the programs. They met in the 1976 NCAA Tournament in Dayton, Ohio, with Marquette winning 79-60. To win the South Region, MU is +500 and WKU +23000. I don’t have either doing so.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky finished third in Conference USA’s regular-season standings and lost its final four games before then winning three in a row in the league tournament. WKU hasn’t faced a ranked team this season or even a power conference opponent. Guard Dom McHenry is the team’s best player, leading the Hilltoppers in scoring (15.2 ppg) and assists (2.4 apg). The junior was named first-team All-CUSA. Forward Rodney Howard was named the conference’s Sixth Player of the Year, and guard Teagan Moore was named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team. This team plays very fast. Steve Lutz is in his first season as WKU coach. Out of WKU’s 23 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, the Hilltoppers have advanced to the second round 11 times, most recently in 2009. WKU has gone to the Sweet 16 six times in program history, most recently in 2008.
Marquette Golden Eagles
Marquette finished tied for second in the Big East behind reigning national champion UConn, which is the No. 1 overall seed in this tournament. The Golden Eagles lost to the Huskies by 16 in the conference tournament title game on Saturday playing without All-American point guard Tyler Kolek. The 57 points scored by Marquette in the loss was its fewest total of the season by 12 points. Kolek missed the final three regular season games and the entire Big East Tournament due to an oblique injury but expected to be ready for this game. It’s the second time in school history that Marquette is a No. 2 seed. It was last year and beat Vermont in Round 1 before being upset by No. 7 Michigan State. Marquette has been to a total of 16 Sweet 16s and three Final Fours and won the 1977 national title. It is +2500 to do so this year.
WKU
MARQ