The Seton Hall Pirates take on the Marquette Golden Eagles in Milwaukee, WI. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Seton Hall is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -162. The total is set at 141.5 points.
Here are my Seton Hall vs. Marquette predictions and college basketball picks for December 30, 2025.
Seton Hall vs Marquette Prediction
My Pick: Seton Hall -3.5 (Play to -5)
My Seton Hall vs Marquette best bet is on the Pirates to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Seton Hall vs. Marquette Odds
| Seton Hall Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | -162 |
| Marquette Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | +136 |
- Seton Hall vs Marquette spread: Seton Hall -3.5
- Seton Hall vs Marquette over/under: 141.5 points
- Seton Hall vs Marquette moneyline: Seton Hall -162, Marquette +136
Seton Hall vs Marquette College Basketball Betting Preview
Seton Hall Basketball
Seton Hall sits at 11-2 nearing the end of 2025, and it's already surpassed its win total from last season's 7-25 disaster.
Shaheen Holloway put together a roster of unheralded transfers, but things have really clicked, and the Pirates are playing like one of the best teams in the Big East.
The Pirates lost for the first time since Thanksgiving last Tuesday at home against Villanova, 64-56. The final score is misleading, as the game wasn't all that close in the second half, with the Wildcats leading 55-35 with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Villanova forced the Pirates into season-lows in assists (10), field goal percentage (33.3%) and made 3s (three).
Seton Hall is a defensive-minded team, ranking 13th on KenPom in defensive efficiency. This group is incredibly disruptive, ranking fifth nationally in turnover percentage and top-two in both block and steal percentage.
Offensively, I think the Pirates are better than their ranking of 127th on KenPom suggests. The performance against Villanova was quite weak, but this group is capable on that end.
5-foot-10 point guard Adam "Budd" Clark does a great job getting into the lane and setting teammates up, as he ranks 37th nationally in assist rate.
The trio of AJ Staton-McCray, Mike Williams and Tajuan Simpkins provides some perimeter scoring pop, as they're shooting a combined 39% from beyond the arc.
Of note, freshman Najai Hines — who's averaging a ridiculous 2.5 blocks per game in just 18.2 minutes — missed Hall’s last two games with an illness but is expected to be back for this contest.
Stephon Payne has been great on the interior for Hall during the two games Hines missed. Payne won Big East Player of the Week after going for 18 points and 16 rebounds in a road win over Providence on December 19. He also grabbed five offensive rebounds against Villanova.
Marquette Basketball
It's been a brutal start to the season for Shaka Smart and Marquette, which has fallen to 5-8 after losing its fourth straight game. The Golden Eagles have dropped all the way to 114th on KenPom, the second-lowest mark in the Big East.
Smart has continued to bet on high school recruiting and player development while ignoring the transfer portal the past couple of seasons, and that philosophy appears to be catching up to him.
One of the pieces Smart was relying on to take a step forward this season was junior guard Zaide Lowery. Following a couple of DNPs in Marquette’s last two games, the school announced this week that Lowery has departed the program.
What has plagued Marquette? Offense has been a real struggle, as it's sitting at 144th on KenPom. The Golden Eagles rank 280th nationally in effective field goal percentage and are shooting 30.7% from deep as a team. They're also outside the top 150 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage.
Ben Gold has struggled defending the interior as Marquette’s primary five-man, and Smart has replaced him in the starting lineup with sophomore Royce Parham.
Smart's best teams have typically been great on the margins, taking care of the ball and forcing opponents into turnovers. After three straight seasons in which Marquette ranked among the nation’s best in the turnover battle, it sits just 47th this season.
A bright spot for Marquette has been the play of freshman guards Nigel James Jr. and Adrien Stevens, both of whom have shown flashes despite the team’s struggles.
Seton Hall vs. Marquette Betting Analysis
Marquette is 5-1 straight up over the past three seasons against Seton Hall. Will that trend continue on Tuesday?
I don't know the full story with Lowery, so it's unclear whether a departure like that ends up being a net positive or negative. But Marquette has had plenty of time off to make some adjustments since its fourth straight loss on December 20.
On Seton Hall’s side, it's been the better team all season. The Pirates have also had a week off following a really poor offensive showing.
When I look at how these teams match up personnel-wise and stylistically, a few things stand out. Both teams want to be disruptive, with pesky and athletic guards applying a lot of ball pressure. Offensively, both rely heavily on dribble penetration from their guards to create shots.
I definitely side with laying the points with the road favorite. I don't see much reason to feel confident backing Marquette. Seton Hall has the athleticism and connectivity on defense to make things difficult for Chase Ross and James trying to get downhill and make plays.
While I think Marquette can do a solid job guarding Hall as well, I trust Payne to have an advantage on the interior, and I trust the Pirates’ outside shooting much more.
I have a strong lean to the under as well, as both teams could struggle to generate clean looks in the half court.
My Pick: Seton Hall -3.5 (Play to -5)
