The Basketball Tournament 2020 Golden Eagles vs. Sideline Cancer Odds, Picks

The Marquette alumni of Golden Eagles are one victory away from winning The Basketball Tournament for the second straight year. 

The No. 4 seed completed its path back to the championship Sunday by winning its third game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Sideline Cancer, the No. 22 seed, took a longer path to Tuesday's title clash as it needed four victories, with the last two coming against the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. 

Although it is a low seed, Sideline Cancer is one of the most successful TBT squads over the last two years. 

Sideline Cancer owns six wins from the 2019 and 2020 competitions, and its last loss was at the hands of Golden Eagles in the third round a year ago.

The Basketball Tournament Championship Information

Date: Tuesday, July 14

Start Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN 

Live Stream: ESPN.com or ESPN app.

Preview

Golden Eagles come into Tuesday with past TBT championship game experience and a previous victory over Sideline Cancer. 

In the 2019 third round, Jamil Wilson hit six three-pointers for the Marquette alumni team to move into the quarterfinal round.

Wilson was the star of Sunday's semifinal win over Red Scare, as he produced 23 points and shot 5-for-10 from beyond the arc. 

If his shooting form carries over to Tuesday, Wilson may be locked in a duel with Marcus Keene, who is averaging 20 points per game for Sideline Cancer. 

Keene, who played his collegiate basketball at Central Michigan, has helped the No. 22 seed defy the pre-tournament odds. Sideline Cancer was listed at 125-1 to win the competition, while Golden Eagles was at 9-2, per William Hill.

Keene, Remy Abell and Maurice Creek have been hard for any opponent to stop. The trio combined for 46 of Sideline Cancer's 67 points in the semifinal triumph over four-time TBT champion Overseas Elite. 

While the offensive production of those players has caught headlines, Sideline Cancer's defense deserves credit as well.

In the quarterfinal round, the No. 22 seed held Boeheim's Army to 14.6 percent from three-point range. On Sunday, it limited Overseas Elite to 7-for-33 from beyond the arc. 

Golden Eagles made 11 three-point shots Sunday, but if it fails to get going against Sideline Cancer's defense, that could sway the game in the underdog's favor. 

The three-point shooting ability could also make the difference in the Elam Ending, with Wilson, Maurice Acker and three-point specialist Travis Diener on the floor. 

If Golden Eagles are ahead going into the Elam Ending, they could reach victory in three possessions if they are hot from downtown.

The Elam Ending goes into effect at the first timeout under four minutes in the fourth quarter. Eight points are added to the winning team's total and set as a target score. The first team to reach the target score wins.

Pick: Golden Eagles 78-72

MVP: Jamil Wilson, Golden Eagles

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from TheTournament.com