Xavier vs. Cincinnati Pick
Two rivals meet up tonight on the court when No. 19 Cincinnati hosts No. 24 Xavier at 7PM ET.
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Cincinnati is favored at home, as the Bearcats are getting odds of -5.5 points against the Musketeers. The over/under total for the game is listed at 136.5 points. Xavier has won and covered the spread in three straight in this series.
Cincinnati is currently on a 10-game winning streak to improve to 17-2 on the season. The Bearcats are also a perfect 11-0 at home. The Bearcats are 8-7-1 against the spread, going just 1-3 ATS in their last four. Cincy averages 77.3 points per game on offense while the defense gives up just 61.4 per contest. At home, the Bearcats’ offense boosts up to 86.5 points per game. Jacob Evans is leading the team with 14.2 points per game while Kyle Washington is putting up 13.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest.
Xavier snapped a three-game losing streak with an 86-75 win over Georgetown this weekend. The Musketeers are now 14-5 overall and 1-4 in road games. Xavier is 10-8 against the spread this season, but also just 1-3 ATS in its last four games. Xavier is averaging 76.6 points per game on offense this season while allowing 68.7 on defense. On the road, those numbers flip, as they average just 68 points on offense and allow 76.4 on defense. Trevon Blueitt is averaging 17.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game to lead the team. Edmond Sumner is dealing with a shoulder injury, but is expected to play today. He puts up 15.3 points and 4.8 assists per game.
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Despite this being a non-conference games, I expect both teams to be up for it. Cincinnati has been rolling along, but playing in the much-less competitive AAC. Xavier is playing in the highly-competitive Big East and still has been competitive. I expect the Musketeers to give the Bearcats all they can handle, especially with this being a rivalry game.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: XAVIER +5.5