The Xavier Musketeers take on the Marquette Golden Eagles in the 2026 Big East Tournament in New York, N.Y., on Wednesday, March 11. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Marquette is favored by 4 points on the spread with a moneyline of -180. Xavier, meanwhile, enters as a +4 underdog and is +150 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 156.5 total points.
Here’s my Xavier vs. Marquette prediction and college basketball picks for Wednesday, March 11.
Xavier vs Marquette Prediction
My Pick: Marquette -4 (Play to -5)
My Xavier vs Marquette best bet is on the Golden Eagles 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.
Xavier vs Marquette Odds
| Xavier Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4 -110 | 156.5 -110o / -110u | +150 |
| Marquette Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4 -110 | 156.5 -110o / -110u | -180 |
- Xavier vs Marquette Spread: Marquette -4, Xavier +4
- Xavier vs Marquette Over/Under: 156.5 Points
- Xavier vs Marquette Moneyline: Xavier +150, Marquette -180
Xavier vs Marquette College Basketball Betting Preview
For most of the season, the Big East beyond UConn, St. John’s and Villanova has been awful. Barring a shocking bid-stealer, the league is essentially a lock to get only three NCAA Tournament bids.
However, since Feb. 1, another team grades out as a top-50 squad, per Bart Torvik: the Marquette Golden Eagles, who rank 42nd in that span.
They were a young team that did not use the transfer portal, instead relying on internal development.
Plus, they dismissed starting wing Zaide Lowery in mid-December and lost point guard Sean Jones to injury just before the new year. It makes sense that this team took time to mature and find proper roles.
Now led by freshman phenom Nigel James, everything has fallen into place. Chase Ross and Royce Parham slot in perfectly as complementary options, and another rookie, Adrien Stevens, has emerged as a crucial piece late in the year.
The season-ending win over UConn affirmed the Golden Eagles’ impressive trajectory.
Xavier vs Marquette Pick, Betting Analysis
The added wrinkle here is the status of Xavier forward Tre Carroll, the Big East’s leading scorer. The skilled southpaw is a matchup nightmare, but he missed the regular-season finale with a hip injury suffered in the penultimate game and could be out or limited in this one.
He has the best net rating on the team (+11.6 points per 100 possessions), per CBB Analytics, and if he's absent, the Musketeers could struggle against the surging Golden Eagles.
This spread is higher than analytical projections, but given Marquette’s current form and the murky Carroll injury, I'm still willing to lay up to -5 with the Golden Eagles.
My Pick: Marquette -4 (Play to -5)
