Marquette vs. Vermont: 2023 NCAA Tournament Best Bets & Picks
March Madness is officially here! The 2023 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let’s take a look at the early odds, preview, and predictions for the 2023 NCAA Tournament Round 1 game: Marquette vs. Vermont.
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2023 March Madness Odds, Preview & Predictions: Marquette vs. Vermont
Marquette vs. Vermont Odds, Spread & Match Up Overview
- Marquette Spread: -13.5
- Vermont Spread: +13.5
- Marquette Moneyline: -645
- Vermont Moneyline: +480
- Game Over/Under: 146
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Vermont 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
The Catamounts are kings of the American East again, and head coach John Becker enters his fifth NCAA Tournament with Vermont. The Catamounts are a veteran team that ranks in the top 100 in Division I experience.
Vermont depends on its offense to get things done, taking care of the ball and posting a top-25 interior shooting percentage. The Catamounts’ careful care of the ball and preference for the perimeter look give them a dangerous offense. The backcourt combination of Dylan Penn and Aaron Deloney (the latter a 41 percent shooter from beyond the arc) combine with the frontcourt duo of Robin Duncan and Matt Veretto, making Vermont a difficult team for opposing defenses to stop.
The Catamounts are riding a 15-game winning streak entering the tournament. Vermont’s weakness is its sub-150th-ranked defense. Despite their strong defensive rebounding rate, Vermont lost seven of its first nine games to start the season, mostly against opponents who ranked higher than anyone they saw in the American East. We have yet to see Vermont take down a top-100 KenPom team, but March is the time for madness.
Marquette 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
The Marquette Golden Eagles have to be considered one of the most impressive stories of the college basketball season. What Shaka Smart has done with the talent he brought in is remarkable, considering not one DI transfer came in this offseason. Tyler Kolek and Kam Jones are two of the best scorers in the Big East, and a plethora of solid sophomores means Marquette is capable of making a deep tournament run.
Smart is a creative coach who has bought into the analytical side of the game. The Golden Eagles rank in the top 25 at rim-and-three rate, and they score at an effective clip with a top-three 2pt scoring percentage. They rank in the top 25 in transition scoring. Two of Marquette’s losses this season came in overtime, and they have an impressive 96-70 win over Baylor to highlight their impressive resume.
If this team is going deep in the tournament, it will ride Kolek and Jones, taking care of the ball while outpacing their opponent. The Golden Eagles are capable of making a trip to Houston, and if any team out of the Big East is going to make a run, I would pick Marquette as the team to do so. While Marquette ranks in the top 25 in near-proximity looks, those shots aren’t exactly layups. Marquette’s half-jumpers aren’t immune to good defenses, and the Golden Eagles rank outside the top 50 in adjusted defensive efficiency themselves. If this team bows out early in the tournament, it will be because opponents get continual good looks from deep against them, and rebound well. Marquette is capable of losing shootouts, and Jones does have some games where he simply doesn’t show up.
Smart is one of the better coaches in this tournament, and he has plenty of March experience. Marquette’s ceiling is as high as any of the elite squads, with a relatively comfortable floor.
Marquette vs. Vermont 2023 NCAA Tournament Predictions
Marquette swept both the Big East regular season and tournament crowns, despite being underestimated most of the season. But the Golden Eagles might’ve gotten a tough draw with the Vermont Catamounts. Granted, the America East isn’t a juggernaut. But Vermont did close the year on a 14-game winning streak. The Catamounts play at a sluggish pace and play a unique small ball lineup featuring just one player at 6-foot-8. Vermont can shoot the lights out, ranking 67th in 3-point shooting and 16th in 2-point shooting. The problem is, Vermont doesn’t play much defense. Vermont ranks 220th against the three and 170th in the interior. Marquette also runs beautiful offense and should have no issues scoring in the lane. However, Marquette’s defense has been susceptible to the long ball. And while Marquette is one of the best in the country in creating turnovers, Vermont ranks ninth in turnover percentage. I lean with the underdog Catamounts to keep this one respectable, but my preferred play will be the over.
Marquette vs. Vermont 2023 NCAA Tournament Picks
Over, lean Vermont +13.5
More Round 1 & First Four Betting Picks & Predictions
South
- #16 Texas A&M-CC vs. #16 Southeast Missouri St. (First Four)
- #8 Maryland vs. #9 West Virginia
- #5 San Diego St. vs. #12 Charleston
- #4 Virginia vs. #13 Furman
- #6 Creighton vs. #11 NC State
- #3 Baylor vs. #14 UC Santa Barbara
- #7 Missouri vs. #10 Utah State
- #2 Arizona vs. #15 Princeton
East
- #8 Memphis vs. #9 Florida Atlantic
- #5 Duke vs. #12 Oral Roberts
- #4 Tennessee vs. #13 Louisiana
- #6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence
- #3 Kansas State vs. #14 Montana State
- #7 Michigan State vs. #10 USC
- #2 Marquette vs. #15 Vermont
West
- #1 Kansas vs. #16 Howard
- #8 Arkansas vs. #9 Illinois
- #5 Saint Mary’s vs. #12 VCU
- #4 UConn vs. #13 Iona
- #11 Arizona State vs. #11 Nevada (First Four)
- #3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Grand Canyon
- #7 Northwestern vs. #10 Boise State
- #2 UCLA vs. #15 UNC Asheville
Midwest
- #1 Houston vs. #16 Northern Kentucky
- #8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn
- #5 Miami vs. #12 Drake
- #4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State
- #11 Mississippi State vs. #11 Pitt (First Four)
- #3 Xavier vs. #14 Kennesaw State
- #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Penn State
- #2 Texas vs. #15 Colgate
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