Bodog Beat

The Marquette Golden Eagles looked like a legitimate Final Four contender before Dominic James broke his foot against Connecticut two weeks ago to knock him out for the rest of the season. (Marquette Images)

The Eagles lost to Connecticut and went on to drop four of their next five games without James in the lineup.

Now they have to start the tournament with a tricky first-round pairing with the Utah State Aggies on Friday.
This is the Aggies’ 10th consecutive 20-win season and their sixth NCAA trip this decade. They are the nation’s second-winningest team this season, behind only Memphis.

The Aggies prefer to control the pace and keep it in the high 60s; while they were 13-0 when they scored at least 75 points, it’s doubtful they can win a shootout with a major-conference power like Marquette.
This game will really show if Marquette has overcome the loss of James. Get all of your NCAA lines over at the Bodog Sportsbook.