Marquette vs Seton Hall Basketball Prediction & Picks: A fifth straight win for the Pirates?

Seton Hall’s NCAA Tournament resume got a big boost on Wednesday as the Pirates won a thriller over UConn, and they will look to boost it even further today as they host #20 Marquette.

Seton Hall (12-8, 5-4) has won four in a row to move into fifth in the Big East standings, a half-game behind fourth-place Creighton.

Marquette (15-5, 7-2 Big East) bounced back from a loss at Xavier with a home win over #22 Providence on Wednesday, and they enter today a half-game behind the Musketeers, who still sit atop the conference even after a surprising loss at DePaul.

Will the Pirates continue their hot streak and pick up a second straight home win over a ranked opponent? Read on for our Marquette vs Seton Hall basketball prediction and picks.

Marquette vs Seton Hall Odds

Odds are via BetUS as of Saturday, January 21, 2023, at 11:10 am ET. This article may also include odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites.

Spread

• Marquette +2 (-110)
• Seton Hall -2 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 143.5 (-110)
• Under 143.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Marquette -136
• Seton Hall +112

Can Seton Hall Slow Marquette Down?

When the two teams met in Milwaukee on December 27, the Pirates didn’t have a fantastic day on the defensive end as the Golden Eagles picked up an 83-69 win at Fiserv Forum.

In the game, Marquette shot 54.1% (33 of 61) from the field, including 66.7% (24 of 36) on two-point shots.

Seton Hall couldn’t keep up offensively, even though they shot 58.1% (18 of 31) on two-point shots. They shot only 30.4% (7 of 23) from three, and they did themselves no favors by making only 12 of 22 (54.5%) free throws and turning the ball over 15 times.

Offensive Statistics and Metrics for Marquette

• PPG: 82.7 (14th in Division I)
• FG%: 50.2% (6th in Division I)
• 3PT%: 35.1% (130th in Division I)
• 2PT%: 60.2% (1st in Division I)
• FT%: 71.7% (158th in Division I)
• Offensive Efficiency (KenPom): 1st

As dangerous as the Golden Eagles are offensively, things should be much different in the rematch, and not just because the Pirates are much better at the Prudential Center.

Since an 83-61 loss at Creighton on January 3, Seton Hall has been outstanding defensively, and Wednesday’s win over UConn was the latest example.

UConn led by 14 at halftime thanks to a 40-point first half in which they shot 46.9 (15 of 32) from the field and 46.7% (7 of 15) from three. But in a 26-point second half, they connected on only 7 of 24 (29.2%) from the field, including 2 of 8 (25%) from three.

Yes, the Huskies, who have lost five of their last six games, are struggling right now. But the Pirates put the clamps down in the final 20 minutes, which gave them a chance for the stunning comeback they completed with KC Ndefo’s game-winning putback.

KC NDEFO’S PUTBACK WINS IT FOR @SETONHALLMBB! pic.twitter.com/9ashtAMqBJ

— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) January 19, 2023

But can Seton Hall continue to score enough points to make their defensive efforts count?

Marquette is eighth in the Big East in points allowed per game (71.9 PPG), ninth in opponents’ field-goal percentage (44.5%), and sixth in opponents’ three-point percentage (33.6%), and they have given up 85, 73, 76, 80, and 75 points in their last five games.

Of course, that’s no issue when you’re playing at a high level on the other end, but as long as Seton Hall can keep Marquette under 75 points, I feel they will have a chance to win.

Marquette vs Seton Hall Prediction and Picks

Marquette vs Seton Hall Prediction: Seton Hall to win

Marquette vs Seton Hall Picks: Seton Hall ML (Best Value: BetUS)

It may be too much to ask for Seton Hall to keep Marquette under 70 points, but if anyone can do it, it’s the Pirates.

Avoiding the same start that they had against UConn is imperative, because the game could easily get away from them in a span of minutes against high-scoring Marquette.

It’s understandable that the Golden Eagles are favored here, but I love the run that the Pirates are on, and I think they will do enough on both ends to extend their streak to five straight wins.

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