The Marquette Golden Eagles play host to the Villanova Wildcats on Wednesday night in an interesting Big East showdown from Fiserv Forum. The Wildcats limp into this one with a losing record, which is nearly unheard of given their recent run of success. For Marquette, they have their eyes on winning the Big East and with three wins in a row, want to continue their streak. Having already squared off on New Year's Eve, which was a two-point Marquette win, it'll be interesting to see if the rematch goes down to the wire as well.
The Wildcats have been one of the most underperforming teams in the country this season and with a losing record thus far, it's difficult to imagine this group playing for much more besides pride. There is talent without a doubt but their inconsistency has plagued them over the last few weeks. In the first meeting against Marquette this season, the Wildcats held in there, losing by only two points at home, though going on the road is likely to be far more challenging in the rematch. Villanova has a 3-5 record in true road games this season and sits 4-9 in all games away from home, which should cast serious doubt over how they handle Wednesday night's action. They continue to sit in the middle of the Big East standings and with their eyes on breaking into the top half, springing the upset is a must.
Injuries haven't helped the Wildcats this season and the injury bug continues to riddle this team. Jordan Lon gino (hamstring) and N'nanna Njoku (foot) remain out, with both having gone own in January. Longino has played a key role off the bench for this group and his minutes will be difficult to replicate in this one.
Justin Moore will be in uniform and available for today's game vs. Providence.#GoNova
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) January 29, 2023
The big news surrounding the Villanova program is Justin Moore making his return to the lineup. As potentially one of the most talented players on the roster, he had five points in his first game over the weekend and will be looking to make a difference in this one. Villanova can use his offense, as they rank 208th nationally in scoring and rank in the 200s across most offensive categories. Caleb Daniels (16.3 ppg) and Eric Dixon (15.7 ppg) lead the way and with Moore coming into his own, this offense should be more dangerous in the rematch. On the defensive side, expect Dixon to play a key role, as Villanova keeps Marquette from generating many second-chance points.
No House Advantage: Bet on player over/unders VS THE HOUSE to 21x your bet OR play in PICK 'EM contests against other people! Click here to get a 1st deposit match up to $50 1st w/ promocode WandW!