Xavier vs. Marquette Picks and Prediction for Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Use Code WWWC Xavier Musketeers (9-6) vs. Marquette Golden Eagles (5-10)
The 2025-26 college basketball season goes on Wednesday, January 7, with the Xavier Musketeers taking on the Marquette Golden Eagles in the Big East Conference showdown at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI, so here’s our Xavier vs. Marquette prediction along with the latest odds update.
The Musketeers meet the Golden Eagles for the first time this season. In 2024-25, they met three times, and all three games were decided by two points. Marquette went 2-1 SU and 0-3 ATS while beating Xavier 89-87 in the Big East Tournament Quarterfinal.
Now, let’s look closer at this Xavier vs. Marquette prediction, one of our NCAAB picks for Wednesday’s card. The Golden Eagles are 4.5-point home favorites with a total of 156.5 points, and the tip-off is set at 7:00 PM ET.
Xavier hopes to snap its two-game skid
The Xavier Musketeers (9-6; 7-8 ATS; 11-4 O/U) finished their non-conference schedule with a five-game winning streak. Since then, the Musketeers have gone 1-3 SU and ATS in conference play. After a 98-57 defeat to Creighton and an 80-77 victory at Georgetown, Xavier has dropped consecutive games against UConn 90-67 at home and DePaul 86-77 on the road.
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Last Saturday, the Musketeers made just 40.6% of their field goals against DePaul. It was another poor defensive display by the Musketeers, who allowed 31 free throws to their rivals. Senior forward Tre Carroll led the way for Xavier with 17 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
Carroll tallies 16.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, while senior guard Roddie Anderson adds 13.0 points and 2.6 dimes a night. Xavier scores 111.7 points per 100 possessions (112th in the country) and allows 106.4 points in return (133rd).
Marquette is slumping big-time
The Marquette Golden Eagles (5-10; 4-11 ATS; 7-8 O/U) are on a six-game losing streak. After finishing their non-conference schedule with consecutive defeats at Wisconsin 96-76 and Purdue 79-59, the Golden Eagles have gone 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in conference play.
During that four-game stretch, Marquette has recorded a couple of road losses at Creighton 84-63 and UConn 73-57, along with a pair of home defeats against Georgetown 78-69 and Seton Hall 79-73. Last Sunday, the Golden Eagles covered a 17.5-point spread at UConn to snap their six-game ATS losing streak.
Marquette made just 32.2% of their field goals last Sunday, and freshman guard Nigel James led the way with 15 points and three assists. James averages 12.6 points and 3.7 assists, while senior guard Chase Ross tallies 16.3 points and 3.2 assists per game. The Golden Eagles score 107.3 points per 100 possessions (185th in the country) and allow 104.8 points in return (98th).
Xavier vs. Marquette Pick
Spread Pick for Xavier vs. Marquette
- Xavier +4.5 (5 units)
Xavier is arguably a better rebounding team than Marquette. The Musketeers have struggled to defend all season, but they have enough weapons to hurt the Golden Eagles’ defense and keep it close in this game.
Marquette is one of the biggest disappointments of the season. The Golden Eagles make just 29.9% of their shots from deep (311th in the country) and 47.8% of their 2-pointers (281st). The Musketeers shoot just 47.6% from inside the arc (291st), but they make 35.1% of their shots from beyond the 3-point line (115th).
Over/Under Pick for Xavier vs. Marquette
- Over 156.5 (5 units)
Both Xavier and Marquette prefer to play at a fast pace, so I can only look at the over when it comes to the total. The Musketeers register 71.0 possessions per 40 minutes (62nd in the country), and the Golden Eagles record 71.4 possessions per 40 minutes (47th).
Moreover, both teams take good care of the ball. Xavier is ninth in the country in turnover percentage (13.4%), and Marquette ranks 58th in this category (15.1%).
Neither defense has impressed thus far. The Musketeers have allowed at least 77 points in four straight outings, while the Golden Eagles have yielded 78 or more in five of their previous six games overall.
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