kam-jones-usatsi-marquette.jpg
USATSI

Two of the hottest teams in the country meet on Friday in a first round matchup of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The No. 2 seed Marquette Golden Eagles face the No. 15 seed Vermont Catamounts at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Marquette is 14-1 in the last 15 games, improving to 28-6 overall and winning the Big East Tournament in the process. Vermont is 23-10 overall after 15 straight wins and an America East Conference title.

Tipoff is at 2:45 p.m. ET in Columbus. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Golden Eagles as 10-point favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 142.5 in the latest Vermont vs. Marquette odds. Before locking in any Marquette vs. Vermont picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and March Madness betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Vermont vs. Marquette and just locked in its picks and March Madness predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for Marquette vs. Vermont:

  • Vermont vs. Marquette spread: Marquette -10
  • Vermont vs. Marquette over/under: 142.5 points 
  • Vermont vs. Marquette money line: Marquette -600, Vermont +430 
  • VER: The Catamounts are 7-2-1 against the spread in the last 10 games 
  • MAR: The Golden Eagles are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 games 
  • Vermont vs. Marquette: See picks at SportsLine

Why Vermont can cover

Vermont led the America East in both offensive and defensive efficiency this season, illustrating its two-way effectiveness. The Catamounts rank in the top 10 of the country in turnover rate, giving the ball away on only 14.2% of offensive possessions. Vermont is also in the top 25 nationally in shooting efficiency, including 55.5% on 2-point attempts and 36.2% on 3-point attempts. The Catamounts can also take solace in Marquette's weakness on the defensive glass, as the Golden Eagles rank outside the top 300 nationally in securing 67.9% of available rebounds. 

Opponents also average 15.0 assists per game and make more than 35% of 3-point attempts against Marquette. On defense, Vermont is No. 6 in the nation in defensive rebound rate (77.5%) and strongly above the national average in free throw rate allowed. The Catamounts yield only 11.1 assists per game, and Marquette generates only 16.4 free throw attempts per contest this season.

Why Marquette can cover

The Golden Eagles are highly prolific on offense under Shaka Smart, and the team centers on All-Big East guard Kam Jones. He is averaging 15.0 points per game this season, and Jones converts nearly 65% of his 2-point attempts. Marquette led the Big East, and ranked in the top eight of the country, in adjusted offensive efficiency, and the Golden Eagles are averaging 79.9 points per game. 

Marquette is a top-five team in the country in both assists (17.6 per game) and 2-point shooting (58.8%), and the Golden Eagles are making 34.8% of 3-point attempts. The Golden Eagles are in the top 25 in turnover rate, committing a giveaway on only 15.2% of possessions, and Vermont rarely creates turnovers on defense. The Catamounts have a 16.8% turnover creation rate and an 8.4% steal rate, with opponents also shooting 34.6% from 3-point range against Vermont over the course of the 2022-23 season.

How to make Vermont vs. Marquette picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, with 12 players projected to score more than six points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Vermont vs. Marquette? And which side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Vermont vs. Marquette spread you need to jump on Friday, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.