NCAA March Madness: Marquette vs. Vermont betting preview, odds and predictions
In the 2 vs. 15 matchup in the East region of the 2023 NCAA tournament, Marquette faces Vermont with a spot in the Round of 32 on the line. All tournament long, VSiN will be providing you with March Madness betting odds, in-depth team analysis and expert college basketball picks. Make us your one-stop shop for all of your betting needs.
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How to watch Marquette vs. Vermont
When: Friday, 2:45 p.m. ET
Where: Columbus, Ohio
Watch: CBS
Odds for Marquette vs. Vermont
Spread: Marquette -11
Total: 145.5
(Odds accurate as of Sunday, March 12th at 11:00 p.m. ET)
Real-time betting splits at DraftKings Sportsbook
East Region No. 2 Seed Marquette
Shaka Smart has done one of the best coaching jobs in the country with his Golden Eagles, as they finished the season atop the Big East standings. Not many people gave Marquette much of a shot at accomplishing that feat, and Smart’s group did it in a surprising way. In the past, we have recognized Smart’s groups as defensive-minded teams — he became famous for his “Havoc” full-court press. However, this Golden Eagles team has gotten the job done on the offensive end. It’s a very tough team to guard, with point guard Tyler Kolek being a big reason why. He’s a tremendous playmaker that constantly makes good reads on the floor. He’ll enjoy having the national spotlight to work with in March.
East Region No. 15 Seed Vermont
Vermont’s record might not be all that impressive, but the Catamounts are a pretty dangerous group. Vermont is a very good three-point shooting team and was a top-100 squad in adjusted offensive efficiency coming into the tournament. When you combine that with the fact that John Becker’s squad also competes hard on the defensive end, this isn’t exactly a team you’ll ever feel comfortable betting against. Keep an eye on senior guard Dylan Penn for this Catamounts squad. He had three games in which he scored at least 20 points in the America East Conference Tournament.
Marquette vs. Vermont matchup analysis
For all of the good teams that Vermont has had, especially under head coach John Becker, the Catamounts are still looking for their first NCAA Tournament win since 2005. They are 0-4 with Becker after being a 13 seed in 2022, 2019 and 2017. They lost as a 16 seed in 2012. In terms of the squads that Becker has coached, this one is closest to the 2012 team than anything else, so a 15 seed makes sense here.
As usual, Vermont is solid on offense and takes good care of the basketball while playing at one of the slower paces in the country. Marquette speeds teams up and forces a lot of turnovers with the “Havoc” defense employed by head coach Shaka Smart. This is a senior-laden roster for Vermont, but facing Marquette is a much different animal than any of the teams in the America East Conference.
The Catamounts played a pretty good nonconference schedule, but lost badly to Saint Mary’s and Iona, along with a close road loss at USC. They were also blown out by Toledo and Long Beach State. Marquette has one of the nation’s top offenses. They take advantage of all the extra possessions gained by a 22.8% TO% on defense and a strong 15.2% TO% on offense. They get to the rim at a high rate and finish well, leading to the third-best 2P% in the country.
This isn’t a very good matchup for a Cinderella hopeful. You’d rather play a bad offense that allows you to hang around in the game, especially if the pace will be slower. This game will be played at a pace that is a little uncomfortable for Vermont and it will be tough to get stops against a Marquette group that can score from anywhere on the floor.
Anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament, but Marquette got a pretty decent draw to make a run here, beginning with this game against the Catamounts.
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