Marquette vs. Western Kentucky Prediction, Odds, Picks - NCAA Tournament First Round

Updated Mar. 22, 2024 10:27 a.m. ET

Data Skrive

The No. 2 seed Marquette Golden Eagles (25-9) and the No. 15 seed Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (22-11) will meet on Friday at 2:00 PM ET in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The matchup airs on TBS.

The Golden Eagles are a double-digit favorite against the Hilltoppers when the Golden Eagles and the Hilltoppers square off. The Golden Eagles are favored by 14 points. The game's over/under is set at 157.5.

Continue scrolling to get the details before wagering on the Marquette-Western Kentucky clash.

Marquette vs. Western Kentucky Game Information & Odds

When: Friday, March 22, 2024 at 2:00 PM ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
How to Watch on TV: TBS
Live boxscore on FOX Sports

Golden Eagles vs Hilltoppers Betting Information
Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Golden Eagles	-14	-112	-108	157.5	-108	-112	-1100	+700

Marquette vs. Western Kentucky Prediction

Pick ATS: Western Kentucky (+14)
Pick OU: Under (157.5)
Prediction: Marquette 81, Western Kentucky 69

Learn more about the Marquette Golden Eagles vs. the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers game on FOX Sports!

Marquette vs. Western Kentucky Betting Insights

Betting Line Implied Predictions

Based on the spread and over/under, the implied score for the game is Golden Eagles 86, Hilltoppers 72.
The Golden Eagles have a 91.7% chance to win this game per the moneyline's implied probability.
The Hilltoppers have a 12.5% implied probability to come out on top.

Key Spread Facts

Marquette has covered 19 times in 33 games with a spread this season.
Western Kentucky has covered 19 times in 30 games with a spread this season.
Marquette is 3-4 ATS this season when playing as at least 14-point favorites.

Key Total Facts

The Golden Eagles games have had more than 157.5 points scored on 10 occasions this year.
Hilltoppers games have gone over 157.5 points on 11 occasions this year.
These two teams score a combined average of 158.89999999999998 points per game, higher than the total for this matchup by 1.4 points.

Key Moneyline Facts

Marquette has put together a 16-4 record in games when it was listed as the moneyline favorite (winning 80% of those games).
Western Kentucky has won seven, or 53.8%, of the 13 games it has played as underdogs this season.
Marquette has played as a moneyline favorite of -1100 or shorter twice this season, and won both.
Western Kentucky has not entered a game this season with longer moneyline odds than +700.

Marquette vs. Western Kentucky: 2023-24 Stats Comparison

	Marquette	Western Kentucky
Points Scored Per Game (Rank)	78.3 (61)	80.6 (30)
Points Allowed (Rank)	69.7 (105)	74.1 (250)
Rebounds (Rank)	7.6 (276)	8.7 (168)
3pt Made (Rank)	8.9 (42)	6.8 (236)
Assists (Rank)	15.8 (36)	13.2 (163)
Turnovers (Rank)	9.7 (50)	13.3 (334)

Marquette 2023-24 Key Players

Golden Eagles Leaders
Name	GP	PTS	REB	ASST	STL	BLK	3PM
Kam Jones	33	16.8	2.9	2.5	1.2	0	2.5
Tyler Kolek	28	15	4.7	7.6	1.6	0.1	1.6
Oso Ighodaro	33	14	6.9	2.9	1	1.2	0
David Joplin	34	10.9	3.8	0.5	0.8	0.8	2
Stevie Mitchell	30	8.8	4.1	0.8	1.8	0.1	0.6

Western Kentucky 2023-24 Key Players

Hilltoppers Leaders
Name	GP	PTS	REB	ASST	STL	BLK	3PM
Don McHenry	33	15.2	3.3	2.4	1	0.1	1.4
Brandon Newman	33	10.5	5.4	1.6	1.3	0.3	1.5
Rodney Howard	32	10	4.8	0.8	0.3	0.5	0
Khristian Lander	25	9.1	2.6	2	1	0.1	1.4
Tyrone Marshall	33	8.4	4.5	2.1	1.5	1	0.8