Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Xavier Musketeers Picks and Prediction For Saturday, February 14, 2026

By: Jake Allman Published 02/14/2026, 01:30 AM ET

On Saturday, Marquette heads to Cintas Center to face Xavier at 3:00 PM ET on TNT in a matchup between two teams trying to climb out of the bottom half of the Big East. Marquette sits at 9-16 overall and 4-10 in conference play, while Xavier checks in at 12-12 and 4-9 in the league. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Xavier a 58 percent edge, and the Musketeers are slight 1-point favorites at home. Slam dunk your bets with our College Basketball picks.

Marquette Preview

Marquette averages 75.5 points per game while allowing 77.0, and the Golden Eagles shoot 43.3 percent from the field as a team. Nigel James Jr. leads the way with 15.2 points and 4.7 assists per game, shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three. Chase Ross adds 15.0 points and 2.4 steals per game, giving Marquette some perimeter activity. The Golden Eagles have split the last four games, including a 70-55 win over Butler and a 77-74 loss at Villanova, but consistency has been a problem.

On the defensive side, Marquette gives up 77.0 points per contest and allows opponents to hang around late. Rebounding has been steady at 34.6 per game, led by Ben Gold’s 5.5 boards, yet the Golden Eagles can be vulnerable inside. Marquette averages 9.4 steals, which helps create transition chances, but turnovers at 11.5 per game limit offensive flow in tight spots.

Xavier Preview

Xavier scores 77.0 points per game and allows 78.1, shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 36 percent from three. Tre Carroll is the focal point with 18.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, shooting 50.1 percent from the floor. Filip Borovicanin adds 9.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, giving Xavier versatility in the frontcourt. The Musketeers have dropped three of the last four, including an 87-82 overtime loss at St. John’s and a 92-60 setback at UConn.

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At home, Xavier’s ball movement stands out with 17.7 assists per game compared to Marquette’s 15.4. The Musketeers also protect the rim better, averaging 4.2 blocks per contest. Turnovers are lower at 10.2 per game, which could be decisive in a close spread.

Marquette vs Xavier Prediction

Prediction: Xavier 79, Marquette 74. Xavier’s balanced scoring and slight edge in assist-to-turnover numbers should matter late at Cintas Center.

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