Marquette vs. Syracuse: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

The No. 1 ranked Syracuse Orange will take on the No. 20 Marquette Golden Eagles in an exciting Big East matchup that will be a good test for both teams as conference play really gets going in January.

Jim Boeheim's Syracuse team is 16-0 this season and have quality wins against Florida, Virginia Tech and Stanford.

Marquette had a good win against Big Ten power Wisconsin in early December but enter this matchup on Saturday following a tough 73-70 loss to Georgetown on Wednesday.

This is an important game for both teams because winning a conference game against a ranked team really looks good on your NCAA tournament resume, especially when you play in the Big East.

Let's look at everything you need to know about this awesome matchup.

Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York

When: Saturday, Jan. 7 at 4:00 p.m. EST

Watch: ESPN3

Live Stream: ESPN3.com

Listen: 1420 AM for Syracuse, 540 ESPN Radio for Marquette

Betting Line: Syracuse -11.5 (according to Betonline.com)

Key Injuries

Marquette center Chris Otule is out of Saturday's game with a knee injury.

Syracuse has no injuries to report.

What's at Stake?

For Syracuse they can earn a win against another ranked team, and it will also show them where they are at in terms of being able to play a top Big East team in an important game. Syracuse's perfect 16-0 record is also at stake of course.

For Marquette, knocking off the nation's top-ranked team would do wonders for their confidence and their NCAA Tournament resume. Winning this game on the road would be even more satisfying for the Golden Eagles, and would prove they can beat top teams away from home.

What They're Saying

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim talked about his team's good shooting in a win over Providence on Wednesday, via CBS Sports:

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"It was the best shooting night we've had all year. If it hadn't happened that way, the game could have easily gone the other way," said coach Jim Boeheim, who has seven players averaging between 7.4 and 13.9 points. "We've stopped everybody, pretty much, this year. We couldn't stop them. We just outscored them. You know, Brandon just got going and he made some tough shots."

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Marquette head coach Buzz Williams stressed that his team's defense has to be better following their loss to Georgetown on Wednesday.

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"We lose by one possession and the opponent shot 63 percent, so defensively we have to get better," coach Buzz Williams said. "In some ways, we did some good things defensively, but down the stretch, not enough."

 

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Player to watch for Marquette: Darius Johnson-Odom

Marquette senior guard Darius Johnson-Odom is a very good scorer and currently leads the Golden Eagles with a 17.2 points per game average.

He had 18 points in the loss to Georgetown on Wednesday and 24 in the team's previous game, a win against Villanova. Johnson-Odom is the Golden Eagles' best offensive player, and Syracuse must defend him well to win this game.

Player to watch for Syracuse: Scoop Jardine

Syracuse senior guard Scoop Jardine is a very exciting player to watch and had a season-high 11 assists against Providence on Wednesday.

He has played well against Marquette in the past, and his ability to be the Orange's playmaker on offense really makes their team go. If he is not being aggressive on offense, the team will struggle to score like they normally do.

Key Matchup

The key matchup in this game will be Marquette's ability to defend Scoop Jardine and make it difficult for him to set up the Syracuse offense.

Jardine is so important to the Syracuse offense, and if the Golden Eagles can disrupt his rhythm and make him work defensively they will tire him, thus limiting his effectiveness in this game.

Prediction: Syracuse wins 82-76

This will be an exciting game for both teams to play in because each team is the best the other has faced this season.

However, Syracuse is the better and deeper team and will win this game despite it being close for most of the way.

Marquette has a lot of talent, especially with Johnson-Odom at guard, but the Orange have played tremendous defense this season and will relish the challenge of facing a quality Big East team in their building.