Marquette vs Butler Prediction 1/23/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Marquette Golden Eagles and the Butler Bulldogs meet Friday in college basketball action from Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Here’s a Marquette vs Butler prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Marquette vs Butler pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Marquette Golden Eagles Betting Preview

The Eagles were able to keep their heads above the .500 mark over their first nine games—but just barely—going 5-4 overall. Marquette has struggled since then on a 2-9 run over the last 11 outings. The losses in that time have come courtesy of Wisconsin, Purdue, Georgetown, Creighton, Seton Hall, UConn, Villanova, St. John’s and DePaul. That gives Marquette a 7-13 record through the first 20 outings.

In the Providence game on Monday the Eagles were in the locker room looking up at a 54-44 advantage. Marquette lost it in the second half though, trailing 50-40 and had to go to overtime. In the end, the Eagles were able to eke out a hard-fought 105-104 home win. Leading the team in scoring during the victory was Nigel James with 38 points, eight assists and three rebounds.

Butler Bulldogs Betting Preview

Over on the Butler side, they logged a pretty nice 10-3 run over their first 13 games of the season. The only losses in that time came courtesy of SMU, Boise State and UConn. In the next five games however, the Bulldogs lost to Creighton, Villanova, St. John’s and Xavier (with a win over Seton Hall). Over 18 outings that would give Butler an 11-7 record in the books.

In game 19 versus DePaul on Tuesday the Bulldogs took a 37-33 deficit into the second half. Butler woke up after that however, hitting a 54-43 run on the way to a comeback victory at home 87-80 in the end. Leading the way on offense was Finley Bizjack with 24 points and two assists. Michael Ajayi added 17 points with eight boards and five assists across 36 minutes of work on the floor as well.

Marquette Golden Eagles @ Butler Bulldogs Betting Trends: January 23, 2026

Why the Butler Bulldogs will win

• Marquette has lost seven of its last eight night games against Conference opponents.
• Butler has won four of its last five games at Hinkle Fieldhouse when playing with a rest disadvantage.

Why the Marquette Golden Eagles will win

• Marquette has won nine of its last 10 night games after coming off overtime.
• Butler has lost six of its last seven night games against the Big East Conference.
• Marquette has won the first half in five of its last six night games against Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Marquette vs Butler Prediction

I’ll take a stab on Marquette but you could argue this either way. The Eagles got a tough home win over a middling Providence team this week, hitting a nice 53.4 percent from the field with just six turnovers and a 60-40 advantage in the paint. The work on the boards (a 38-26 deficit) and at the line (19-of-30 for 63.3 percent) could have been better, though. The Eagles have lost three of their last four games, giving up 76 or more points in all four. They’re really going to have to tighten up on defense.

As for Butler, they had a bad first half against a visiting DePaul squad on Tuesday, but it all worked out in the end. The Bulldogs ended up shooting a nice 56.9 percent from the field and 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from outside along with a 34-26 edge on points in the paint. Butler has won consecutive games now, but they’re still just 2-4 in the last six games overall. The Bulldogs have given up 80 or more points in five of those six as well.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Marquette Golden Eagles +6.5