The 2021-22 college basketball season continues Wednesday, December 8, with the non-conference showdown at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas, so we have prepared the best Marquette vs. Kansas State betting pick and odds. 

The Wildcats are small home favorites on Bovada Sportsbook, searching for their first win over Marquette since 1988. Over their previous two encounters in 2018 and 2019, the Golden Eagles have gone 2-0 straight up and ATS against Kansas State.

Marquette fell apart at Wisconsin

After a couple of home wins to Northern Illinois 80-66 and Jackson State 83-54, the Marquette Golden Eagles fell to 7-2 SU and 4-5 ATS on the season with an 89-76 defeat at Wisconsin this past Saturday. Their defense collapsed in the second half, so the Badgers finished with 50.8% shooting from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc.

Marquette is No. 77 in the latest KenPom rankings. The Golden Eagles are surrendering 95.7 points per 100 possessions (67th in the country) on 42.5% shooting from the field (tied-183rd) and 32.6% from downtown (168th).

On the other side of the ball, Marquette is tallying 105.6 points per 100 possessions (92nd) on 44.5% shooting from the field (tied-178th) and 32.9% from deep (tied-206th). Freshman forward Justin Lewis is leading the way with 15.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Kansas State eyes its fourth straight victory

After a pair of straight losses to the top-25 teams, Arkansas and Illinois, in November, the Kansas State Wildcats (5-2; 4-3 ATS) have won three games in a row. During that stretch, the Wildcats have beaten North Dakota 84-42, Albany 71-43, and Wichita State 65-59, covering the spread on all three occasions.

Last Sunday, the Wildcats outlasted the Shockers as 5.5-point home favorites. They played excellent defense, forcing 14 turnovers and allowing Wichita State to make only 35.2% of its field goals and 21.7% of its 3-pointers.

Kansas State is No. 62 in the KenPom rankings. The Wildcats are scoring 104.6 points per 100 possessions (106th in the nation) while surrendering only 93.2 in a return (47th). Senior guard Markquis Nowell is tallying 12.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, while sophomore guard Nijel Pack is adding 15.8 points a night on 51.5% shooting from the field and 48.6% from beyond the arc.

Trends:

Marquette:

  • 1-6 ATS in the last seven games played in December

Kansas State:

  • 4-1 ATS in the last five games overall

Marquette vs. Kansas State Pick

The Golden Eagles have a lot of new guys on their roster, while the Wildcats are in a completely different situation. Hereof, I would lean on Kansas State’s defense to make the difference in this matchup.

The Golden Eagles have been pretty unpredictable since the start of the season. They’ve recorded a couple of nice wins over Illinois and West Virginia, but that heavy loss at Wisconsin has shown a lot of flaws in Marquette’s game. On paper, the Golden Eagles look like a very talented team, but they’ll have a tough job against this hard-working Kansas State team.

Pick: Take Kansas State -3.0 at -110                  

The Total:

Marquette is playing at the second-fastest pace in the nation, averaging 75.3 possessions per 40 minutes. On the other side, Kansas State is registering 68.0 possessions per 40 minutes (209th in the nation), so the hosts will certainly look to slow down things in front of the home fans.

The Wildcats should be able to control the game. Their aggressive defense will disrupt the Golden Eagles’ offense, as Kansas State ranks 14th in the country in the opponent field goal percentage (36.8%) and fourth in the opponent 3-point percentage (23.5%).

Pick: Go under 140.5 points at -110