#15 WKU vs #2 Marquette Prediction, March Madness Picks & Odds Today

One of the first matchups on this second day of round of 64 action features the #15 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers looking to upset the #2 Marquette Golden Eagles. Will they be able to do the unthinkable? It’s happened before, and we’re here to answer that question with our best Western Kentucky vs. Marquette prediction.

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Western Kentucky vs Marquette prediction for today’s college basketball game

As mentioned, a #15 seed beating a #2 seed has indeed happened before, although it’s nearly as unlikely as a #16 upsetting a #1 seed. It has happened just 11 times in the history of the NCAA Tournament, with two of them happening in the same year – 2012.

So, it’s safe to say that we knew Marquette would be a massive favorite today. With that in mind, we’d prefer not to focus on the Western Kentucky vs. Marquette spread, as it is now as high as 14.5 points. Instead, we have plenty of reasons to believe we’ll have a high-scoring game, so let’s break down why.

Western Kentucky vs Marquette Round of 64 picks & March Madness best bets targeting over 158.5

Much like we knew that the Golden Eagles would be heavy favorites, we also knew that we’d have a very high total, or over/under, for this matchup. In fact, it’s one of the highest for the entire first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Even still, we don’t feel as though the oddsmakers have gone high enough. One of the primary reasons for that is the Hilltoppers fast-paced offense. It seems as though Western Kentucky has quite literally been running hills all offseason, as they play at the fastest pace in the entire country.

Yes, the entire nation, not just their lesser-known conference of Conference USA. Speaking of which, they won their conference tournament despite being the #3 seed going into it. While Western Kentucky is nearly impossible to keep up with, it has also created far too many turnovers, which is where the Golden Eagles should capitalize.

We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention Tyler Kolek. The Marquette point guard is arguably the best at the position in the entire country, and his absence is the primary reason for the Golden Eagles letdown spots this season. Even still, they did enough to be ranked inside the top five in the regular season and earn a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Tyler Kolek is expected to be back on the court, which is even more reason to believe that Marquette will win the game, and his ability to facilitate the offense should also lead to more scoring for the Golden Eagles. With all that in mind, our best Western Kentucky vs. Marquette prediction is over 158.5 points (-110 at DraftKings).  

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Western Kentucky vs Marquette betting odds, lines & spreads at DraftKings

We’ve covered the lines and odds at DraftKings Sportsbook for tonight’s matchup followed by a payout breakdown for our best bets:

• Point Spread: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers +14.5 (-112) vs. Marquette Golden Eagles -14.5 (-108)
• Money Line: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (+800) vs. Marquette Golden Eagles (-1350)
• Game Total (Over/Under): Over 158 (-112) vs. Under 158 (-108)

So, a $110 bet on our Western Kentucky vs. Marquette prediction of over 158.5 (-110 at DraftKings) profits $100 as long as at least 159 points are scored.

Probable lineups for Western Kentucky vs Marquette Today, 3/22

Here are the projected starting lineups for both the Hilltoppers and Golden Eagles for today’s round of 64 matchup:

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Starting Lineup:

• Don McHenry
• Brandon Newman
• Khristian Lander
• Tyrone Marshall Jr.
• Babacar Faye

Marquette Golden Eagles:

• Tyler Kolek
• Kameron Jones
• Stevie Mitchell
• David Joplin
• Oso Ighodaro

What time is Western Kentucky vs Marquette game?

As we mentioned at the top, the Western Kentucky vs. Marquette matchup is one of the first games of today’s slate, with tip-off set to take place at 2:05 PM ET on TBS. So, be sure to give yourself time to lock in your Western Kentucky vs. Marquette picks by joining DraftKings here and claiming your guaranteed $150 bonus.