College Hoops Villanova vs. Xavier - Picks & Predictions
By Drew Sharper
It’s a big matchup in the Big East tonight when No. 5 Xavier plays host to No. 1 Villanova. Who will come out on top in this contest?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI Xavier is the slim favorite at home tonight, as the Musketeers are getting odds of -1 point against Villanova. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 145.5 points.
Xavier is 24-3 on the season, 12-3 in the Big East, 13-1 at home and 17-10 against the spread. Villanova is 24-3 overall, 13-1 in the Big East, 9-1 on the road and 13-12-1 against the spread. Villanova has won and covered the spread in six straight meetings in this series, including a 95-64 win at home on Dec. 31.
Who does the public like in this game?
This is a must-win for Xavier, which puts a lot of pressure on the Musketeers tonight. To stay with the Wildcats in the Big East race, they must beat them to close within ½ a game. The first meeting has to be weighing on their minds as Nova shot 63 percent from the field and 52 percent from 3-point land while Xavier shot just 39 percent from the floor. While both those percentages should come closer to being equal in this game, Villanova had a clear game plan that worked wonders against Xavier and the matchups haven’t changed much for this game. In a straight-up contest for the most part, it is hard to pick against Villanova, which hasn’t lost a conference road game this season.
WEDNESDAY’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL PICK: VILLANOVA +1