Big East Conference Tournament Preview & Betting Guide: Can UConn Keep The Momentum In MSG?

The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden is one of the staples of March. With such a tight-knit conference in 2023, we should be in for an enticing four days in Manhattan. To prepare you for the Big East Tournament, we will discuss the favorite, another contender, and the best bet we think could go dancing on the league’s behalf.Big East Conference Tournament Dates & Sites

• Dates: March 8-11
• Location: Madison Square Garden | New York City, NY
• Championship Game: Saturday, March 11, 6:30 p.m. | FOX

• UConn: +220 | Creighton: +250 | Marquette: +380
• Xavier: +500 | Villanova: +850 | Providence: +1900
• Seton Hall: +6000 | St. John’s: +7500
• Georgetown: +25000 | DePaul: +25000 | Butler: +25000

Connecticut’s rollercoaster of a season has been well documented, and they seem to be back on the upslope. The Huskies started the year 14-0, with fans and media asking if this team could run the table. Those talks were short-lived after they spiraled into six losses in eight games.

But they’re back in the conversation among the nation’s elite after eight wins in their past nine, with some looking like the UConn we saw back in November (see their throttling of Marquette in Hartford a month ago). Head coach Dan Hurley has something to prove to the Storrs faithful this season.

The program has had much to be excited about since he came to town in 2019, but no hardware nor tournament wins to show for it. Taking a Big East Tournament title back to Connecticut would go a long way, and they feel like the most talented team in the league heading in.

First-year head coach Kyle Neptune is getting his footing at Villanova, and it’s starting to show in the past month. The Wildcats have won six of eight since February 8, including two big-time victories over Xavier and Creighton. The return of senior star guard Justin Moore from last year’s Achilles tear has given them a massive boost.

He has jumped into action full-stop, notching 32.6 minutes per game and getting over ten field goal attempts per contest. If he can return to the form he was in a season ago, you may have an excellent price on a feisty Villanova team that returned a lot of talent. Stick this one in your back pocket to see if you can get a run out of the Wildcats this weekend.

UConn’s ceiling is higher than any other team in the Big East, and it’s hard even to make it a debate. The Huskies are bursting with talent at every position and have stellar roster construction with dynamic guards, a dominant frontcourt, and defensive prowess on the wing.

Getting a team that ranks fourth overall on KenPom at this price is a great spot. Take the Huskies to cut down the nets on Saturday night.