Betting

Colorado vs. Marquette prediction: March Madness odds, picks

By
Social Links for Charlie DiSturco, Action Network
Published March 24, 2024, 8:00 a.m. ET
Head coach Shaka Smart of the Marquette Golden Eagles hugs Tyler Kolek #11 against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
Head coach Shaka Smart of the Marquette Golden Eagles hugs Tyler Kolek #11 against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Getty Images

The round of 64 has come and gone, opening the door for Cinderella teams to make a name for themselves.

We’ve seen Yale take down mighty Auburn and a pair of 12 seeds pull off back-to-back upsets to end Friday night. Isn’t college basketball the best? 

It’s time to do it all again.

Sit on our couches and enjoy the final day of the first weekend.

Keeping that in mind, here are my two best bets for Sunday’s NCAA Tournament games: 

Colorado (+3.5) vs. Marquette 

Marquette might have blown out Western Kentucky in the second half in the first round, but this is an inconsistent team and one that should be faded down the stretch here.

Tyler Kolek looked much healthier in his return from injury, but the flaws were still there. 

For one, Colorado should be able to control the glass in this matchup. Marquette is outside the top 270 when it comes to both offensive and defensive rebounding.

In the first-round matchup against WKU, the Hilltoppers had 14 second-chance opportunities and outrebounded the Golden Eagles, 44-37. 

That means the physicality of Eddie Lampkin, Luke O’Brien and Co. should find success sustaining longer possessions for the Buffaloes.

Lampkin ranked inside the top five in offensive rebounding rate during Pac-12 play. 

Tristan da Silva #23 of the Colorado Buffaloes reacts after a basket in the first half of a semifinal game against the Washington State Cougars during the the Pac-12 Conference basketball tournament.
Tristan da Silva of the Colorado Buffaloes reacts after a basket in the first half of a semifinal game against the Washington State Cougars during the the Pac-12 Conference basketball tournament. Getty Images

This is a hold-your-nose play on Colorado as an underdog. Since Feb. 22, the Buffs rank No. 12 in efficiency and have looked like a completely different team.

Cody Williams’ return, though it’s been inconsistent, is a huge plus for a team that lacks depth. 

Tack on Marquette’s suspect 3-point defense, and I’m more than happy to grab the points with Colorado here.

Shaka Smart’s squad allows more than 43 percent of all attempts to come from the perimeter and sit outside the top 150 in 3-point percentage. 

Betting on College Basketball?

Tad Boyle’s squad is No. 6 in the country in 3-point shooting. Though the Buffs look to attack downhill, they have more than capable shooters from deep.

Superstar KJ Simpson connects at a 44 percent clip, and Tristan da Silva, O’Brien and even J’Vonne Hadley all shoot 39 percent or better. 

From a talent perspective, I think these teams are pretty even. Marquette is actually the more inconsistent of the two — near the 300 mark, per Haslametrics — and outside the top 300 in momentum. 

This is a coin flip game, so I’m more than happy to back Colorado here.