#845 ASA FREE PLAY ON Connecticut -3.5 over Marquette, Friday at 6:30 PM ET - Interesting number here. The #4 seed in the Big East tourney (UConn) is favored by more than a possession over the #1 seed? The oddsmakers know what’s going on here and there is a reason the Huskies are favored. Despite where they finished in conference play, UConn is the better team and playing better basketball right now. For the season both of these teams rank in the top 10 in offensive efficiency each averaging 1.19 PPP. However, the Huskies have a big edge defensively ranking 15th nationally in efficiency and 9th in eFG% allowed. Marquette ranks 62nd and 235th in those two key statistics. Another key in this game will be from beyond the arc. Both are solid 3 point shooting teams but defensively Marquette is poor at defending the arc (280th in the country) while UConn has been terrific limiting teams from 3 point land (11th nationally in 3 point FG% defense & 2nd in the country in % of points allowed from deep). UConn does have problems turning the ball over at times, however that negative will be neutralized here with the huge advantage they should have on the boards. They are the #1 offensive rebounding team in the country gathering 39% of their misses and facing a poor rebounding Marquette team that ranks outside the top 300 on the defensive glass. UConn was +30 on the glass in their 2 games combined vs the Golden Eagles this year, one a 15 point win and the other a 6 point loss. UConn is playing better basketball right now as we mentioned. They’ve won 9 of 10 with their only loss during that stretch coming by 3 points @ Creighton. If you just looked at the score yesterday (7 point win over Providence) you might think the Huskies were in a battle. Not the case as they led by 26 midway through the 2nd half and took their foot off the gas. Marquette has won 7 straight since getting walloped @ UConn but 5 of those 7 games were vs Butler, St Johns, and Georgetown, 3 of the 4 worst in the Big East. On top of that, 4 of those 7 wins have come by 2 points or less including back to back 2 point wins over St Johns to close out the season and in the first round yesterday. We think the Eagles are vulnerable right now and running into a buzzsaw. Lay it.