The Xavier Musketeers and No. 25 ranked Marquette Golden Eagles and head coach Shaka Smart are looking to bolster their resumes for the NCAA Tournament this postseason.
Xavier and Marquette will face each other for the third time this season in the Big East Tournament on Thursday afternoon at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The Golden Eagles defeated the Musketeers in the Big East Tournament final a couple of years ago in the postseason to secure the two-seed for the Big Dance in March Madness. Xavier is looking to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2023 postseason.
According to ESPN's Joe Lunardi, the latest Bracketology projections have Xavier as one of the last four teams in the Big Dance this postseason. Marquette is projected as a seven-seed in the East Region for the Round of 64 against the 10-seed San Diego State Aztecs.
How to watch Marquette vs Xavier
- Date: Thursday, March 13
- Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
- How to Watch (TV): Peacock
- Streaming: NBC/Peacock app
- Marquette record: 22-9 (13-7 Big East)
- Xavier record: 21-10 (13-7 Big East)
Marquette vs Xavier odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- Marquette -142
- Xavier +118
Spread
- Marquette -2.5 (-110)
- Xavier +2.5 (-110)
Total
- 145.5 (over -110/under -110)
Marquette injury report
- Al Amadou, F: Out (redshirt)
- Damarious Owens, F: Questionable (illness)
- Sean Jones, G: Out (knee)
Xavier injury report
- Lassina Traore, F: Out (knee)
- Trey Green, G: Out (undisclosed)
Marquette and Xavier series history
- Marquette all-time record vs. Xavier: 60-28 (.682 winning percentage)
Marquette vs Xavier prediction
These two teams played a couple of thrilling contests, each decided by just one possession, this past regular season for Big East play.
Xavier is the hottest team in the Big East entering the postseason, boasting a seven-game winning streak since mid-February in the stretch run of the regular season. Two out of Xavier's last three contest wins have come by double-digit margins in Big East conference play.
Marquette has been trending in the opposite direction of this red-hot Xavier squad it's set to face on Thursday in the Big East Tournament. Smart and the Golden Eagles have dropped two straight and three of its last five to close out the stretch run of the regular season in the Big East.
Prediction: Marquette-77, Xavier-70