The Villanova Wildcats (13-14) visit the No. 16 Xavier Musketeers (20-7) on Tuesday night! Action tips off at 6:30 p.m. ET. Below we continue our College Basketball odds series with a Villanova-Xavier prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Villanova is coming off a loss to Providence and sits at 7-9 and in seventh place in the Big East. The Wildcats covered 37% of their games while 52% went under the projected point total. Xavier snapped a two-game skid over the weekend but remains at 12-4 and in a three-way tie for second place in the Big East. The Musketeers covered 58% of their games while 65% went over. This will be the second meeting of the season between the conference foes. Xavier won and covered in the first matchup – their first win over Villanova since 2019.
Here are the Villanova-Xavier college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Villanova-Xavier Odds
Villanova: +4.5 (-105)
Xavier: -4.5 (-115)
Over: 147.5 (-115)
Under: 147.5 (-105)
How To Watch Villanova vs. Xavier
TV: Fox Sports 1
Stream: Fox Sports Live
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET/ 3:30 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Villanova Could Cover The Spread
Villanova entered the season with high hopes despite the departure of legendary coach Jay Wright. The Wildcats appeared at No. 16 in the preseason AP Poll but quickly proved they were not a Top-25 team. Villanova lost five of their first seven games and entered conference play with a subpar 6-5 record. While they have picked things up a bit in the Big East, the Wildcats still do not have a win over a team in the top half of the conference. Additionally, they hold an abysmal 3-8 road record. As a result, Villanova does not fare well within the advanced rankings. They slot in at No. 72 in KenPom and No. 84 in NET. That is largely thanks to an 0-9 record against Quad 1 opponents in addition to two Quad 3 losses. That being said, Villanova does not project to make the NCAA Tournament.
Villanova is led by a pair of upperclassmen. Senior guard Caleb Daniels leads the team with 15.9 PPG and he dropped 23 on the Musketeers back in January. Junior forward Eric Dixon is no slouch either, ranking second on the team with 15.7 PPG while leading Villanova with 6.7 RPG. Like Daniels, Dixon performed well in their prior meeting with Xavier when he scored 19 points and pulled down five rebounds.
Why Xavier Could Cover The Spread
Xavier has been one of the most surprising teams in College Basketball. The current 16th-ranked team in the country ran through a tough non-conference schedule and entered Big East play with a strong 8-3 record. Each of those three losses came at the hands of projected tournament teams. Additionally, Xavier secured key wins over Florida, West Virginia, and Cincinnati. They've been strong in conference play despite some recent lapses and have a good chance to win the regular season title. The advanced rankings agree with that as Xavier slides in at No. 21 in KenPom and No. 25 in NET. While they've gone just 5-5 in Quad 1 and hold a Quad 3 loss, their strong 6-1 record in Quad 2 really elevates their resume. As a result, the Musketeers currently project as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Xavier features an explosive offense that ranks sixth nationally in scoring with 82.6 PPG. They are one of the most selfless teams out there as well, leading all of Division-1 in assists with 20.4 APG. The Musketeers are highly efficient as they hardly turn the ball over and shoot astronomical percentages on the offensive end. At 40% from deep and 50% overall, Xavier ranks in the top five in the country in both major shooting categories. That efficiency was on full display in their earlier win over Villanova as they shot 47% from three and dished out 22 assists in their win. While they may not need to drop 88 again tonight at home, they certainly have the chops to do so.
Xavier is led by grad transfer Souley Boum. The UTEP legend is the heart and soul of this Xavier offense as he ranks fourth in the conference in scoring with 16.2 PPG and fifth in assists with 4.7 APG. He is a lights-out shooter from beyond the arc where he averages 2.0 threes per game while shooting them at a 41% clip. Boum dropped 22 points and 10 rebounds on Villanova in their previous matchup and should again be in for a big game tonight.
Boum is hardly a one-man-show, however, as three other players average over 14 points per game. Senior Zach Freemantle averages 15.2 PPG, junior Colby Jones chips in 14.9 PPG, and senior Jack Nunge contributes 14.7 PPG. Freemantle and Nunge serve as their big bodies down low as they rank third and fifth in the Big East in rebounding. Freemantle in particular has been effective on the offensive end where he holds the fifth-highest field goal percentage in the conference.
Final Villanova-Xavier Prediction & Pick
Xavier covered this line on the road already this season and should do so again at home.
Final Villanova-Xavier Prediction & Pick: Xavier -4.5 (-115)
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