Houston looks to continue their undefeated season as they face Xavier. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Houston-Xavier prediction, pick, and how to watch.

Houston enters the game at 6-0 on the year but does not have a major win yet this year. They have faced mostly mid-major teams this season, with the closest game of those being with Dayton. A game they won 69-55. The only power conference team they have played so far is Utah. The game was tied at 56 with 7:08 left in the game. Houston then stepped up on defense. They allowed Utah to score just ten more points, as they won 76-66.

Meanwhile, Xavier comes in at 4-3 on the year. They have lost to Purdue and Washington, but last time out, it was an upset. Facing Oakland, the game was tied at 69 with just 3:25 left in the game. Xavier missed some key shots coming down the stretch though, as Trey Townsend took over for Oakland. Oakland would hold Xavier to just seven more points, and come away with the 78-76 upset over Xavier.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Houston-Xavier Odds

Houston: -8.5 (-110)

Xavier: +8.5 (-110)

Over: 138.5 (-115)

Under: 138.5 (-105)

How to Watch Houston vs. Xavier 

Time: 6:30 PM ET/ 3:30 PM PT

TV: FS1

Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Houston Will Cover The Spread

Houston enters the game ranked number six in the nation, but ranked first in adjusted efficiency according to KenPom. The offense has been solid, they are ranked ninth in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency. They do not score a ton, sitting 163rd in the nation in points per game at 76.3. They have been led on offense by LJ Cryer. He is scoring 17 points per game this year while shooting 42.6 percent. He is also their primary three-point shooter, with 58 of his 99 attempts on the year being from behind the arc. He is coming off his highest point performance of the year, scoring 24 points last time out.

Meanwhile, Emanuel Sharp has been solid as well. He comes into the game with 11.7 points per game this year, while also having almost a steal per game. The offense is also aided by Jamal Shead. He comes in leading the team in assists, having 6.3 per game.

On defense, Houston ranks number one in adjusted defensive efficiency and number one overall in scoring defense, allowing just 49.0 points per game. Ja; Vier Francis is a big part of the defense. He is averaging one steal per game while also having 1.3 blocks per game. Meanwhile, Shead is also a big part, coming in with 3.0 steals per game this year as the team is averaging 11. A big part of being able to control the game has been rebounding. Houston averages 41.4 rebounds per game, led by J'wan Roberts with 7.7 per game.

Why Xavier Will Cover The Spread

Xavier comes in ranked 40th in adjusted efficiency this year while sitting 59th in adjusted offensive efficiency. Xavier has pulled off an upset this year, as they were underdog against Saint Mary's but pulled out the 66-49 win. Leading the way for them in that game was Dayvion McKnight. He had 14 that night and can have some big games. He is averaging just 7.3 points per game this year but has three games in double digits. McKnight is also the major assistant man on the team, leading with 5.3 assists per game this year. Leading the offensive is Demond Calude. He is averaging 16.7 points per game, while also giving out 3.6 assists per game this year.

Meanwhile, Quincy Olivari has been the main three-point threat. This is not a heavy three-point shooting team, but Olivary leads the team with 15 threes on 40 attempts. He comes into the game averaging 13.4 points per game while giving out 2.1 assists per game this year. Rounding out the top scorers is Gytis Nemeiksa. He is averaging 10.1 points per game this year and is second on the team in rebounds with 5.0.

The boards have not been as good for Xavier as they have Houston. The top man on the team is Olivari, a guard. He is averaging 5.1 per game, while the team has just 39.7. Further, the turnover to assist ration is not great. While Houston sits at four turnovers for every seven assists, Xavier is sitting at roughly two turnovers for every three assists. That comes out to roughly a quarter turnover per assist more than Houston, who is great at forcing turnovers. The defense has been solid for Xavier overall though, as they sit 27th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency.

Final Houston-Xavier Prediction & Pick

Houston ranks 326th of 362 teams in adjusted tempo this year. They love to slow the game down and play solid defense. This may be the toughest test yet for Houston, but the defense is what makes them special. They cause turnovers and dominate the pace of play. That is going to make a lower-scoring game. One major thing to watch is the inside in this game. Xavier is shooting 57.4 percent this year inside the arc, but Houston allows just 45.7 percent of shots inside the arc to fall. While tempo will be low and defense will be high, Both teams shoot well enough to hit the over in this one, as Houston gets the cover.

Final Houston-Xavier Prediction & Pick: Houston -8.5 (-110) and over 138.5 (-115)