College basketball picks: Villanova-Marquette prediction, odds, spread for Feb. 1

The No. 14 Marquette Golden Eagles will look to keep their streak of strong play going at home when they host the Villanova Wildcats on Wednesday night from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The game will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on FS1. Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

Villanova vs. Marquette odds

Spread: Marquette -6
Over/Under: 146
Moneyline: Marquette -270, Villanova +215

Villanova (10-11, 4-6 Big East) lost four of its last six games including a 70-65 home defeat against the Providence Friars over the weekend despite Cam Whitmore going for 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting including 4-of-8 from beyond the 3-point line with nine rebounds. The Wildcats have been without fifth-leading scorer Jordan Longino for nearly a month with an injury, and their biggest struggles are on the defensive end where Villanova rates 115th in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency.

Marquette (17-5, 9-2 Big East) enters February on a three-game winning streak and picked up victories in eight of their last nine games including an 89-69 win over the DePaul Blue Demons over the weekend. The Golden Eagles are all offense with the top-rated team on that side of the ball in adjusted efficiency with Kam Jones leading the way with 16 points per game. His status for this matchup is in question with a hip injury, and reserve guard Sean Jones could be out as well.

The Pick: Under 146

The weaknesses for both teams come on the defensive end of the floor, but the Wildcats play at a pace rated 337th in adjusted tempo. When you combine limited possessions with Marquette's top player potentially out of the lineup, this feels like a solid spot to bet on the Golden Eagles to be held in check offensively in terms of total points scored.

  
Read Full Article