NCAA Basketball Best Bets for January 24: Marquette Romps Past Villanova
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Willie Bee
- January 24, 2025
Top NCAAB Pick: Marquette -9.5 (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
Another Friday night on the collegiate hardwood and at the NCAAB betting window, and we begin with a Big East battle in Milwaukee where Marquette could grab a share of the conference lead with a victory, and close it with one of UCLA visiting Seattle to take on Washington.
Villanova Wildcats vs. Marquette Golden Eagles
Friday, January 24, 2025 – 07:00 PM ET at Fiserv Forum
If Villanova is serious about running with the ‘Big 4’ in the Big East, the Wildcats need to show it Friday night with an upset on the road at 10th-ranked Marquette.
Most of the top sportsbooks are stopping just short of making the Golden Eagles double-digit chalk for the affair, with the scoreboard target floating around 142-142½.
‘Nova Fails to Cover Last 4
Kyle Neptune’s club hasn’t been able to cover its last four contests, two of those as the favorite, so asking for an upset as a 9½-point ‘dog is indeed a tall order. The Wildcats currently sit 5-4 in league play, good for fourth place and on the outside looking in as far as March Madness goes.
Villanova comes off a Monday loss at home to Georgetown, a game in which the Wildcats were favored by 7½, and they’re 1-3 straight up and against the spread on the Big East highway.
After being embarrassed at home last weekend by rival Xavier, Shaka Smart’s squad bounced back nicely with a 76-59 decision Tuesday evening at Seton Hall. Marquette covered as 12½-point road chalk to snap a 4-game ATS skid, and kept the final ‘under’ for the fifth time in eight league games.
Eagles Have Won, Covered Last 7 Meetings
After sweeping all three matchups a year ago, Marquette has won the last seven in the rivalry. The Golden Eagles have also covered the NCAAB odds in each of those straight-up victories, three of those clashes taking place in Milwaukee.
Marquette is 10-1 at home this season, but have failed to cover all four Big East games on the floor at Fiserv. Breaking streaks is the theme for Friday night, and the Golden Eagles get their first conference home cover of the campaign.
NCAAB Pick: Marquette -9.5 (-108) at Heritage Sports
UCLA Bruins at Washington Huskies
Friday, January 24, 2025 – 11:00 PM ET at Alaska Airlines Arena
Hey, I know there are other key Big Ten battles going on, including a ranked clash between Michigan and Purdue. But the fact UCLA-Washington gathering now qualifies as a B1G battle seems so crazy, I just had to take a stab at it.
This is, in fact, the second time the Bruins and Huskies have met as Big Ten foes after UCLA won down at Pauley Pavilion in the conference opener. Bookmaker suggests it won’t be easy for Washington to exact revenge, with UCLA a 5½-point favorite and 138½ for the total.
Bruins on 5-Game ‘Over’ Run
The times were good for UCLA when the Bruins hosted the Huskies back in early December. A 69-58 UCLA win was part of a 10-1 start to the campaign for Mick Cronin’s crew.
Cronin has since called his team out during a 4-game losing streak, three of those contests taking place away from home. The Bruins busted the skid last Friday in LA with a 94-70 coast past Iowa. Favored by 6, the Bruins quadrupled that spread.
They followed that up on Tuesday night with an 85-83 win over No. 18 Wisconsin. It wasn’t quite enough to cover the -3½, but was enough to stop the Badgers’ 7-game win streak and score a 5th-straight ‘over’ winner for UCLA.
Washington has wilted since Big Ten play began in earnest. The Huskies dropped both games in the early portion of the league slate back in December, and have head into Friday’s matchup dragging five consecutive losses behind them.
All five losses in the current skid came to ranked opponents, the latest at Oregon on Tuesday. The score was deadlocked at 62 with just under 6 minutes to play, and the Ducks closed on a 20-9 run in an 82-71 final. The Huskies covered with their +13 bestowment to end a string of 3-straight ATS losses.
‘Under’ Cashes 4 of Last 5 Encounters
Prior to the two old PAC 8-10-12 rivals meeting last month for the first time as Big Ten foes, the Bruins owned a 108-44 advantage in the rivalry. The programs split last year’s matchups with home wins and covers, and the last four clashes at Washington split the totals.
So which streak is in more danger of ending tonight, Washington’s losing skid or UCLA games going past the total? My pick is the latter with a play on the ‘under’ in Seattle.
NCAAB Pick: Under 138.5 (-115) at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
