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Big East March Madness Bubble Watch: Streaking Xavier Knocking on NCAA Tourney Door
- Get the best Big East basketball odds at BetUS.
- St. John’s is the only Big East team in the top 20 in the NCAA NET rankings.
- Read on for my March Madness breakdown for Big East teams this week.
Buckle up because I think this could be one unpredictable Big East men’s basketball tournament. Per college basketball news, bracketology sites have listed Big East regular-season champion St. John’s as high as a No. 3 seed with Creighton, UConn and Marquette landing anywhere from No. 7 to No. 9 seeds for the NCAA Tournament.
Villanova will be the first of the bubble teams to hit the court at Madison Square Garden in New York, Wildcats facing Seton Hall in the last of the three games scheduled on Wednesday. The Marquette vs Xavier NCAA basketball matchup on Thursday in the quarterfinals has the potential to be one of the better games in the tournament. The Big East tournament champion will be crowned on Saturday with the title game starting at 6:30 p.m.
St. John’s (+2000) has the shortest NCAA March Madness odds among Big East teams. Two-time defending national champion UConn (+5000) is the only other Big East team in the top 15 in the championship odds.
Big East March Madness Breakdown
Xavier One Dangerous Bubble Team
Xavier has won its last seven games with the Musketeers among the “last four in” in one projected bracket. Not many people were looking at the NCAA basketball futures odds to lay down money on the Musketeers after a 12-point loss to Villanova dropped Xavier to 14-10. That changed when Xavier dismantled Creighton on March 1.
The bracket is set. 🔒 pic.twitter.com/bYsMRdUzAm
— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) March 9, 2025
The 1-8 record against Quad 1 teams is not great and Xavier is sitting at No. 44 in the NCAA NET rankings. A win over Marquette in the Big East quarterfinals should put Xavier into the NCAA Tournament. If the Musketeers lose that game, there will be some anxious days for the Xavier faithful before they find out whether the bubble has been busted for the Musketeers.
Villanova is the only other Big East team that can be considered to be a bubble team. Three Quad 2 losses and three more in either Quad 3 or Quad 4 games means that the Wildcats will need to make some noise in the Big East tournament.
Those who have been cashing in on Eric Dixon, the nation’s leading scorer, in college basketball player prop bets will shed a few tears if Dixon and Villanova are left out of the March Madness bracket.
The Wildcats lead all Big East teams with 19 games landing over the sports betting odds total. However, the selection committee doesn’t take that into account when handing out at-large bids.
Who Will Join St. John’s, UConn in March Madness Field?
St. John’s, Creighton, UConn and Marquette will be part of the March Madness bracket even if they are sent home early from the Big East tournament.
St. John’s is 16th in the NCAA NET rankings with a 4-4 record in Quad 1 games. The Red Storm haven’t won the Big East tournament since 2000. Can you imagine how much the World’s Most Famous Arena will be rocking if the Red Storm are playing for the Big East title on Saturday night?
National ranking as we head into the @BIGEASTMBB tournament 🔴⛈️#RedStorm #WeAreStJohns pic.twitter.com/ZIXvTlkZdR
— St. John’s Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) March 10, 2025
Creighton is 4-4 against the teams that earned the top five seeds in the Big East tournament. Among the top four seeds, Creighton’s No. 38 spot in the NCAA NET rankings is the lowest among the Big East contenders. Keep that in mind when making college basketball picks.
The Bluejays have reached the Big East title game four times but are still looking for their first title. If it happens this week, that would work wonders for Creighton’s March Madness seeding.
Don’t look now but the defending Big East tournament and March Madness champions are getting hot. The UConn Huskies won’t have to play St. John’s, Marquette or Xavier until the title game.
Marquette is sitting 25th in the NCAA NET rankings despite dropping their last two games. I wouldn’t wish having to play a red-hot Xavier team in its Big East tournament opener on my worst enemy.
Can Butler and Georgetown Defy Long Odds?
Butler, Georgetown, Providence, DePaul and Seton Hall need to win the Big East tournament to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament. Each of those teams has just one Quad 1 victory and all will finish with a losing record in Big East play.
Only two teams seeded seventh or lower have made it to the semifinals in the last four Big East tournaments, so some college basketball news would be made if a March Madness bid stealer emerges out of the Big East this week.
Check Out Last Week’s Big East March Madness Bubble Teams Stats
Questions of the Day
Which Big East team has the best record against the spread this season?
Creighton and St. John’s are both 18-11-2 against the spread this season.
How many Big East teams made it into the 2024 March Madness bracket?
Three. UConn won the national title while Creighton and Marquette reached the Sweet 16.
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
