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Posted at 11:05 AM EST

3:30 PM EST. The Golden Eagles have two games left in the season at home after this one and it can’t get here soon enough for most of them. Three seniors for Marquette will move on and for that trio, the final two home games will be their swan song. The Golden Eagles are 3-12 in the conference and sitting in dead last in the Big East. Marquette has dropped four in a row and 10 of its past 11. The Golden Eagles will also play their second straight on the road and their third road game in their past four games overall. For a team that is reeling, that does nothing well and that is on the road, we can’t find a single motivating factor that says the Golden Eagles are going to compete here. 

As for the Friars, the motivating factors are endless. First, Providence lost to Marquette by nine points way back in the second conference game of the season so this one has a sense of payback. If the Friars miss the Dance, they can look at that game as a reason why. Providence is very likely in but another loss here and they instantly become a bubble team with two losses to Marquette hanging over their heads. Providence is assured of nothing right now but a victory over Marquette and Seton Hall over its next two games and it really won’t matter what they do against Butler in the final game of the season so this game is of the utmost importance. The Friars are also a very good team as we saw when they beat Notre Dame, swept Georgetown and took down Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse but there is still work to be done. Providence's stock in the betting markets has dropped because of a horrible 28-point loss to Villanova on Tuesday. That loss has been hanging over their heads for the past five days and this is the response game for not only the loss to Villanova but for the loss to Marquette as well. Providence has been fighting for respect all year from both bettors and pundits  alike and they’ll now  haven’t have a chance to earn some with a victory over in its final three games. This one has to be a resounding one and we love the Friars to respond in a big way.