Subscribe
Follow Us
It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Seton Hall-Xavier prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Seton Hall-Xavier.
The Xavier Musketeers and Seton Hall Pirates both need this Big East game in the worst way. Both teams are 0-2 in the Big East standings. It should be said that Seton Hall lost to Villanova and Georgetown, whereas Xavier lost to Marquette and Connecticut. Those are not equivalent losses. However, it remains that even though Xavier's losses aren't as bad as Seton Hall's losses, Xavier is still a five-loss team which is winless in conference play. Xavier badly needs to avoid going 0-3 in Big East competition. Xavier needs to avoid falling to 8-6 overall. A lot was expected from this team, so an 8-6, 0-3 profile entering 2025 would be well below what this team and coach Sean Miller hoped for.
Yet, as bad as things might be for Xavier, they're much worse for Seton Hall. Coach Shaheen Holloway came from Saint Peter's — and a storybook run to the Elite Eight with the 15th-seeded Peacocks — to much fanfare. He seemed like the perfect fit for the SHU job. He was Jersey tough and ready to coach defense the way he did at Saint Peter's. Holloway was going to make Seton Hall a team no one wanted to play.
The Pirates do play good defense, but there's just one problem: They can't score. Seton Hall's offense has consistently let this team down. The Pirates are struggling so profoundly that they are 5-8 through 13 games, also 0-2 in the Big East against competition which is not as formidable as the opponents Xavier has faced. Holloway has talked openly about needing to fix this situation and dig out of trouble. He knows this season has been horrendous and far below the standard he set for himself and his program. It's quite an urgent moment for Holloway and for the team he is facing. Seton Hall-Xavier is a battle of desperation and anxiety at the end of 2024. The team which loses this game will be in a really deep hole at the start of 2025.
Here are the Seton Hall-Xavier College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Seton Hall-Xavier Odds
Seton Hall: +9.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +360
Xavier: -9.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -480
Over: 131.5 (-115)
Under: 131.5 (-105)
How to Watch Seton Hall vs Xavier
Article Continues Below
Time: 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
TV: Peacock
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Seton Hall Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Pirates are getting almost 10 points in a game they absolutely have to win. Shaheen Holloway will get his team to play strong defense. It's what he does. It's what he is good at. Even if the Seton Hall offense does not play a great game, the Pirates can still stay close enough to cover the spread by playing great defense and roping Xavier into a rockfight. Conference games are frequently contentious. The idea that this will be one-way traffic for Xavier just doesn't seem like something one should be confident about. The game is more likely to be close than lopsided.
Why Xavier Will Cover The Spread/Win
Seton Hall is a total mess, and the Pirates have a terrible offense. Xavier has played better competition than Seton Hall has, and its results are not worse. Xavier is playing at home and should be highly energized in what is a hugely important game for the Musketeers. X should be able to take care of the Hall without too much of a problem.
Final Seton Hall-Xavier Prediction & Pick
The lean is to Seton Hall, but SHU is struggling, so we advise you to pass on this one.
Final Seton Hall-Xavier Prediction & Pick: Seton Hall +9.5
