Butler vs. Xavier Pick
Will No. 22 Butler go on the road and cover as a small favorite against Xavier today at 3:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Butler is favored on the road, as the Bulldogs are getting odds of -2 points against Xavier. The over/under total for the game is listed at 144.5 points. Xavier has won and covered the spread in four of the last five in this series, but Butler picked up an 83-78 win at home on Jan. 14.
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Butler is on a three-game winning streak right now, including a 74-66 win at Villanova on Wednesday. The Bulldogs are now 22-6 on the season and 11-5 in the Big East. Butler is 16-10 against the spread on the season as well. Butler is averaging 77 points per game on offense this season while allowing 68.2 on defense. When on the road, Butler is only putting up 69.9 points per game. Kelan Martin is averaging 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while Andrew Chrabascz is adding 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.
Xavier is on a four-game losing streak to fall to 18-10 on the season and 8-7 in the Big East. The Musketeers were on the road for three of those four games. They have failed to cover in eight of their last nine games as well to drop to 11-16 against the spread. Xavier is averaging 74.5 points per game on offense while allowing 70.8 on defense. When at home, Xavier is allowing just 65 points per game. Trevon Bluiett is averaging 17.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game to lead the team while J.P. Macura is adding 14.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest.
Butler is coming off a big road win, but that could lead to a letdown today. After their last win over Nova, Butler went to OT with Georgetown in its next game and then lost at Creighton. While Xavier has been struggling, it has still won three of its last four at home. I think the Musketeers will step up and catch a confident Butler team off guard.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: XAVIER +2