Marquette vs. Georgetown College Basketball Odds, Pick, Prediction (Friday, Jan. 7)

Marquette vs. Georgetown Odds

Friday, Jan. 7

6:30 p.m. ET

FS1

Marquette Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
-2.5 -110	152.5 -110o / -110u	-145

Georgetown Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
+2.5 -110	152.5 -110o / -110u	+120

Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute college basketball odds here.

Georgetown comes off of its COVID pause to host the Golden Eagles of Marquette.

This is a matchup between the worst Big East squad (according to analytics) and a young, feisty team with little experience on the road.

Marquette Golden Eagles

Marquette enters this contest fresh off its first Big East win, a 32-point drubbing of Providence. That result boosted the Eagles a whopping 19 spots in KenPom’s analytical rankings, which should send bettors’ Spidey sense tingling.

Is Marquette now overvalued, or is this the new normal?

This will be the Golden Eagles’ fourth true road game of the season. They’ve fared well thus far, going 2-1 against the spread (ATS) and beating Kansas State outright.

On the flip side, this will be Georgetown’s first Big East game and first game since Dec. 18. The Hoyas are 5-3 ATS at home, but have just a +1.6 cover margin.

Marquette’s defense has been its moneymaker this season, and it has the perfect answer to Georgetown’s ball-screen-heavy offense. Per Synergy, the Eagles rank in the 96th percentile at stopping ball screens, allowing just 0.523 points per possession. Big, long wings lead the way for Shaka Smart.

Those big, long wings will be key to Smart's full-court pressure, which is sure to bother the shaky, erratic ball-handers for the Hoyas. Georgetown hasn’t seen a lot of pressure this season and ranks just 226th in turnover rate.

Big, long wings are also keys to preventing clean outside looks, something Marquette absolutely must prevent against a Hoyas team that shoots the 13th-best 3-point clip in the country.

Georgetown guards Aminu Mohammed, Donald Carey and Kaiden Rice are all around the 40% mark from 3-point land.

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Georgetown Hoyas

Three straight postponements have kept the Hoyas on the sidelines for 20 days. Patrick Ewing’s squad has to be itching to play. Back at the friendly confines of Capital One Arena, his Hoyas have the chance to start Big East play on the right foot.

Offensively, Georgetown’s edge is its rebounding. Ryan Mutombo (Dikembe’s son) is a beast on the offensive glass, as is freshman phenom Mohammed. While Marquette is scrappy and long, it has struggled keeping opponents off the boards on this end of the floor.

As mentioned above, Georgetown can get red hot from downtown. Rice in particular is a walking fireball. The former Citadel transfer has hit five or more triples five times this season. Against UMBC on Dec. 5, he knocked in 10 of his 12 attempts from beyond the arc.

If Georgetown has a hot night, Marquette doesn’t stand a chance.

Like the Golden Eagles, the Hoyas will look to score in transition. Both teams rank inside the top 25 in adjusted tempo, looking to run in the open floor and get easy buckets before the defense can get set.

Marquette has found mild success stopping opponents in the open floor, while Georgetown has been awful. Per Synergy, the Hoyas are allowing 1.022 points per possession in transition, one of the worst marks in the country.

Marquette vs. Georgetown Betting Pick

The spot favors Georgetown. Even off the pause, the Hoyas have a great chance to start off Big East play with a win, and get to do it at home. Marquette, meanwhile, is coming off a home run effort and could be in for a letdown on the road.

This matchup leans toward the Golden Eagles, whose bevy of athletic wings and pressure should make life very difficult for the Hoyas' guards.

The best play in this game is the over. Both teams will run, run, run. This game could see north of 75 possessions.

Pick: Over 152.5