Colorado vs Marquette Pick & Prediction

The Colorado Buffaloes escaped their first-round matchup against the Florida Gators, earning a wild 102-100 victory. Guard KJ Simpson was the hero, as he hit a game-winning jump shot with seconds remaining on the clock to clinch the win.

The Buffs now have a quick turnaround as they take on the Marquette Golden Eagles in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Golden Eagles got off to a slow start on Friday, as they were battling it out with Western Kentucky. They woke up in the second half, though, and won comfortably.

Here's a Colorado vs Marquette pick and prediction.

Although the Buffs should've won the game more comfortably, the Gators made it difficult for them in the end with their relentless effort. The game was one of the best of the First Round, and hopefully, there's no letdown on the horizon for CU.

However, I'm starting to fall in love with this Buffs team schematically.

They're in the top 50 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, and their offense has been performing exceptionally well lately.

They have a significant advantage over the Golden Eagles in the rebounding department.

The Buffs should also take advantage of their excellent free-throw shooting, as they're shooting 78% as a team, which is the 10th-best in the entire country.

The Buffs do a great job of getting to the line, while Marquette doesn't. The Buffs are shooting 39% from 3 — despite not relying on the triple — but their interior scoring has been outstanding.

Big man Eddie Lampkin Jr. draws a good matchup against the Golden Eagles, whose interior defense isn't as elite as many of the remaining teams in the tournament.

Between Lampkin, Cody Williams and Tristan da Silva, the Buffs have plenty of offensive versatility that will give a good Golden Eagles defensive unit a hard time.

The only area of concern for the Buffs' offense is that they're too careless with the basketball. They struggled with the press in the late stages of the game on Friday. Despite their turnover issues, the Buffs have enough on the offensive end to counteract the stingy Golden Eagles defense.

Defensively, the Buffs don't force many turnovers, but they're an elite team on the perimeter. That's crucial against the Golden Eagles' good 3-point shooters.

The Golden Eagles were in the spotlight on Friday when their star point guard — Tyler Kolek — returned from injury. However, many were concerned that Kolek didn't look like his old self, as the Golden Eagles had a slow start in the first half.

They're a top-20 team in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. Their impressive ability to score in various ways — while also protecting the basketball — is what they need. But they fail to get to the foul line often and aren't a good free-throw shooting team.

The Golden Eagles are shooting 71% at the stripe, which is outside the top 200 in the country. Additionally, they don't do well offensive rebounding, which could be terrible news against the Buffs.

The Golden Eagles could take advantage of the Buffs' mediocre interior defense, but the difference in the game will be the rebounding battle and 3-pointers. The Golden Eagles are a good 3-point shooting team, but the Buffs are stingy on the perimeter.

Although the Golden Eagles have a mediocre perimeter defense, they still allow fewer 3-point attempts than other teams. After witnessing the Buffs' performance against Florida, it's a huge cause for concern for the Golden Eagles.

They're also good at forcing turnovers, but their inability to box out on defense could give the Buffs plenty of second-chance opportunities.

Shaka Smart's team is very balanced, and Kolek's presence will make a huge difference.

I have no reason to hop off the Buffs' bandwagon, so I will happily take them with the points on Sunday. The Buffs have been impressive on offense, demonstrating that they can be one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament.

I appreciate their balanced approach. While the Golden Eagles are strong on both ends of the floor, their poor rebounding and free-throw shooting are major red flags in this matchup.

The Buffs have struggled with protecting the ball and breaking presses at times, but I believe that their potent offense will lead them to victory against a tough Golden Eagles defense.

The Buffs are currently on fire, and I have no intention of betting against them.

Even if they fall short, I anticipate a closely-contested game.

Pick: Colorado +3 or Better