The Seton Hall Pirates take on the Xavier Musketeers. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Seton Hall Xavier prediction and pick.

The Seton Hall Pirates have begun to really take on the personality of their new head coach. Shaheen Holloway was a very tough college basketball player in his day. He carried that toughness into his coaching career. He made the Saint Peter's Peacocks the story of the 2022 NCAA Tournament by coaching the team to huge upset wins over Kentucky, Murray State, and Purdue, enabling Saint Peter's to become the first-ever No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight in March Madness. Holloway inherited a new roster at Seton Hall. He had to build an identity with his players and impress upon them the necessity of playing hard-nosed defense on every possession and being locked in all the time.

Holloway and his players had to adjust to each other, but they're beginning to understand what it takes to be successful. Seton Hall beat Rutgers on the road in a 45-43 rockfight which manifested the winning culture Holloway is trying to instill into his players. The Pirates beat Drexel in a blowout and then gave Providence a stiff test before losing a four-point game. Seton Hall has five losses on the season. In terms of the overall results through 12 games, the Pirates aren't where they need to be. However, this team has definitely improved compared to the start of the season. This is a transition year. A program is being built. There will be growing pains, but the process is beginning to move in the right direction.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Seton Hall-Xavier College Basketball odds.

College Basketball Odds: Seton Hall-Xavier Odds

Seton Hall Pirates: +8.5 (-120)

Xavier Musketeers: -8.5 (-102)

Over: 143.5 (-110)

Under: 143.5 (-110)

Why Seton Hall Could Cover the Spread

This team is going to defend well on a consistent basis. That is going to give Xavier problems. Xavier scored 102 points against Georgetown in its most recent game. Georgetown offered no real resistance to Xavier. Seton Hall is trying to become a team which will always offer resistance to its opponents. Seton Hall's identity is based on making the game hard for the other team. A lot of teams try to win by executing their own plays and demonstrating their own playmaking ability and artistry. Think of the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL. They win by playing their game and daring opponents to stop them. Seton Hall is the exact opposite. This team doesn't have elite scorers. It wins with defense, by doing things to disrupt the opponent's offense and making games uglier, not smoother.

Xavier had an easy ride against Georgetown. The Musketeers will have anything but an easy ride against The Hall. Keep in mind that the Pirates can cover even if they lose by eight. Just keeping this game close will be enough, and this is a team built to keep games close.

Why Xavier Could Cover the Spread

The Musketeers, under coach Sean Miller, are beginning to look like a team which can do damage in March. Sean Miller formerly coached at Xavier over a decade ago before going to the University of Arizona. The controversy surrounding his recruiting practices pushed him out of Tucson, and Tommy Lloyd replaced him. Miller was able to return to his former school for a second go-round. Remember that Miller led Xavier to the Elite Eight when he first coached the team. That was back in 2008. Miller is trying to create an elite standard at Xavier, and through 12 games, he has begun to get through to his players. Xavier's losses have all been to good teams: Indiana, Duke, and Gonzaga, and they were all close games, decided by seven or fewer points. Xavier has shown that it can take care of business against lesser teams, especially at home. This is a maturing team which will be ready for the challenges posed by Seton Hall's defense.

Final Seton Hall-Xavier Prediction & Pick

This game should be close, and because it should be close, Seton Hall is the pick. The Pirates don't have to win outright. Xavier has to win by nine or more. The margins are with the Pirates here. They're playing better defense and are not crumbling at the first sign of adversity.

Final Seton Hall-Xavier Prediction & Pick: Seton Hall +8.5