It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Central Michigan-Marquette prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Central Michigan-Marquette.
The Marquette Golden Eagles dominated their first game of the college basketball season. Their second game was a win, but it was a lot less consistent. It was a tale of two games and two different ways of winning.
Marquette's season opener was a 40-point win over Stony Brook. The Golden Eagles flourished from start to finish. They left no doubt about their superiority and got a complete performance at both ends of the floor. A 102-62 score offers zero ambiguity.
The second game against George Mason was quite different.
Marquette bolted out to an 11-0 lead and looked like a team which would once again steamroll its opponent. However, the tide soon turned. George Mason roared back and gained a one-point lead at halftime. The Patriots matched Marquette blow for blow in the first 14 minutes of the second half. With just over six minutes left, MU owned a tenuous 61-59 edge. The game seemed destined to go down to the wire, and anyone who had George Mason plus the 11.5-point spread, in a game we previewed here at ClutchPoints, was about to cash a winning ticket.
Then came the abrupt closing sequence. Marquette recalled the start of the game when it uncorked an 11-0 run and did even better down the stretch. MU went on a 21-4 tear to close the game and win by 19, 82-63. Marquette outscored George Mason 32-4 at the start and end of the game. George Mason outscored Marquette 59-50 in all the other minutes. For most of the game, George Mason outplayed Marquette, but in roughly nine minutes, Marquette absolutely demolished GMU and made those other 31 minutes irrelevant.
One now wonders how Marquette will approach its third game of the season against Central Michigan.
Here are the Central Michigan-Marquette College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Central Michigan-Marquette Odds
Central Michigan: +27.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +3500
Marquette: -27.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -20000
Over: 148.5 (-110)
Under: 148.5 (-110)
How to Watch Central Michigan vs Marquette
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
TV: FS1
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Central Michigan Will Cover The Spread/Win
Marquette was noticeably inconsistent against George Mason. The Golden Eagles led by 11, then trailed, then were involved in a dogfight before waking up in the final six minutes. The season is just one week old, but one could sense that Marquette got a little disinterested against Mason after taking the quick 11-point lead and obviously showing how athletically superior it was. There seemed to be a sense of complacency on the MU side, and that points to a team which, while talented and capable, might go through some ups and downs and not focus relentlessly enough to put the boot on the throat and win by the number of points needed to cover the spread.
Why Marquette Will Cover The Spread/Win
Marquette did get a little careless against George Mason, but let's quickly point out that MU beat Stony Brook by 40. This team is good. The Mason game probably got this team's attention, leading to sharper focus in this game against Central Michigan. Let's note that CMU lost to Stony Brook by one point. Marquette beat Stony Brook by 40. You can do the math there. A 27.5-point spread might seem low, to be honest. The line could be set at 32.5 instead of 27.5.
Final Central Michigan-Marquette Prediction & Pick
If you saw Marquette play Stony Brook, you saw Marquette win by 40. Stony Brook beat Central Michigan. If those results are any indication, Marquette should win this one by close to 40. Take Marquette.
Final Central Michigan-Marquette Prediction & Pick: Marquette -27.5