Big East CBB Futures Odds Betting – One to Buy, One to Sell

When the odds to win the Big East regular season title first hit the board, it was the Creighton Bluejays that linemakers at BetRivers Sportsbook thought to be the cream of the crop. While Greg McDermott’s troops are seemingly still in the discussion, it’s the Xavier Musketeers and Marquette Golden Eagles that’re currently installed co-favorites to take home bragging rights. The former was expected to be in the mix at the season’s outset, but the latter was anything but with Shaka Smart’s kids tagged hefty +4250 underdogs to pull off the feat.

Well, Kam Jones and Co. are just six wins away from making it a reality!

Even when I first reported on this conference at the beginning of January, I stated it was a five-team race to the spoils. That train of thought still holds true with teams not named Xavier, Marquette, Creighton, Providence, or UConn already getting their odds taken off the board. These next three weeks are sure to deliver with the top heavy portion of the standings all looking to be the last team standing. Something tells me the overall seeding in the Big East tournament will decide the regular season title winner.

Here’s one team to buy and one to sell heading into the final laps of the regular season grind.

Bet Big East Futures Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook

BUY: Marquette Golden Eagles +110

It pains me to say this since I failed to get a piece of Marquette at the opener, but it looks like the Golden Eagles are destined to win the Big East regular season title. The job Shaka Smart has done to this point has been remarkable, and his kids will be rewarded with one of if not the easiest remaining schedules of all the contenders. UConn would’ve been my choice here had it not fallen so far back in the standings, but I don’t envision it making up enough ground due to the Golden Eagles end of schedule cakewalk. I’m still buying the Huskies to win it all at +2500 though!

Regardless, all that stands in the way of Marquette locking bragging rights down is at the very least a split at home against Xavier followed by a road trip to take on a Creighton squad it beat 69-58 as 3.5-point favorites way back on December 16. Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Co. will then get DePaul and St. John’s at home with a road trek to Butler sandwiched in between.

This team checks most of the boxes. It’s efficient offensively (No. 4), sports the best 2-point offense in the country (No. 1), takes excellent care of the basketball (No. 17), and forces turnovers (No. 19). It does however have issues rebounding the basketball at both ends of the court. That problem area will likely get it in the Big East and NCAA tournaments. But for now, this team looks to be on a clear path to winning the second regular season title in program history.

SELL: Xavier Musketeers +110

Depth and the X-Men’s inability to D up were always problem areas in my book regardless of Sean Miller’s kids getting out to a commanding start to their 2022-23 campaign. Even with the team nestled atop the Big East pecking order with an 11-2 overall record, I still had little faith in the Musketeers holding onto the top spot when fully healthy. Now that Zach Freemantle will be out of commission for the remainder of February and into March, I expect it to be darn near close to impossible for the team to fend off all the other healthy contenders for top honors.

I have no doubt that the offense will continue to flourish without the services of their big man. Souley Boum, Jack Nunge, Adam Kunkel, and Colby Jones are all readily able to pick up the slack. However, I have a major concern with the team’s ability to rebound the ball with his team-high 8.1 rebounds per game now out of the equation. His big frame will also be missed in matchups down the road against Marquette, Villanova, Seton Hall, and especially Providence. Provided the Musketeers don’t flip a defensive switch in his absence, I find it hard to believe they hold onto their top seeding the rest of the way.

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