Marquette vs. Villanova Prediction, Odds and Best College Basketball Prop Bets for Friday, Feb. 21

Reed Wallach | Feb 21, 2025

Feb 18, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Marquette Golden Eagles' Kam Jones (1) looks to shoot during the second half against the Seton Hall Pirates at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Villanova squandered a chance to pick up an impressive Big East win at UConn on Tuesday night, and it won’t get any easier following the loss with Marquette on deck. 

The Golden Eagles have bounced back after a three-game losing streak to beat up on two struggling Big East teams in DePaul and Seton Hall, can the team pick up a quality win in a semi-road environment in Philadelphia against a quality Villanova win? 

Here’s our betting preview for this Big East showdown on Friday night. 

Marquette vs. Villanova Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Marquette: +3.5 (-110)
• Villanova: +3.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Marquette: +136
• Villanova: -164

Total: 151.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Marquette vs. Villanova How to Watch

• Date: Friday, February 21st
• Game Time: 7:00 PM EST
• Venue: Wells Fargo Center
• How to Watch (TV): Fox Sports 1
• Marquette Record: 20-6
• Villanova Record: 15-12

Marquette vs. Villanova Key Players to Watch

Marquette

Stevie Mitchell UNDER 10.5 Points (+100)

Mitchell cooked Villanova in the first meeting, scoring 21 points while making six of his seven two-point field goal attempts. However, the senior guard hasn't been playing like that for much of the Big East season, mired in a February long slump, going under this number in four of five games this month.

Mitchell hasn't been much of a threat from the perimeter, shooting 28% in Big East play on about three attempts per game. Villanova's defense allows team's to shoot from distance and I believe the ball goes elsewhere, like in Kam Jones' hands, as the Golden Eagles look to unpack the Wildcats D.

After a stellar first game, I'll bank on his recent form and go under this number.

Villanova 

Wooga Poplar OVER 21.5 Points + Rebounds (-118)

The Miami transfer has been trending up over the past month, averaging more than 19 points and six rebounds in February as Villanova has had some competitive results as it looks to make waves in the Big East.

Poplar should be able to continue to perform well against Marquette as the forward is a reliable rebounder for the roster, he is fourth in Big East play in defensive rebounding percentage, and is shooting 43% from deep, fifth best.

He's cleared this number in four of five this month, so its back to the well for me.

Marquette vs. Villanova Prediction and Pick

Villanova hasn’t beaten Marquette in the Kyle Neptune era, losing all five games by an average margin of seven points. 

With this matchup not suiting the Wildcats very well, and the game being at a semi-neutral site in Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center, I’m going to take the small road favorite in Marquette. 

The Golden Eagles will allow Villanova to bomb away from the perimeter as it prefers to do, but the team’s ability to pressure the ball and defend actual shots is impressive. The team is 37th in three-point percentage allowed while also ranking top 10 in turnover rate on the defensive side of the ball. 

Further, Marquette has been shaky from the perimeter but has the elite creation skills of Jones to test the slow-footed Villanova defense. The Golden Eagles use Jones as the pick-and-roll ball handler with a few different players, which has been a big issue for the Nova defense. 

I trust Marquette on both sides of the ball, especially given its history in this matchup.

PICK: Marquette ML (-118, available at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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