It is the Skip Prosser Classic as Wake Forest faces Xavier. It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Wake Forest-Xavier prediction and pick.
Wake Forest comes into the game sitting at 4-0 on the year. They opened up with wins over Coppin State and North Carolina A&T before facing Michigan. It was a tight game throughout, but Michigan held the lead for a large portion of the game. Still, a 10-0 second-half run by Wake Forest would give them the lead, and the 72-70 victory. Last time out, they took a five-point win over South Carolina Upstate. Meanwhile, Xavier is 3-0 this year. They have wins over Texas Southern, IUIN, and Jackson State.
This will be the eighth meeting between these two teams. Xavier leads the series 4-3. The last time they faced was 2019 when Wake Forest won the game 80-78.
Here are the Wake Forest-Xavier College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Wake Forest-Xavier Odds
Wake Forest: +4.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +176
Xavier: -4.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -210
Over: 157.5 (-115)
Under: 157.5 (-105)
How to Watch Wake Forest vs. Xavier
Time: 12:00 PM ET/ 9:00 AM PT
TV: FS1
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Wake Forest Will Cover The Spread/Win
Wake Forest is ranked 73rd in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They sit 93rd in offensive efficiency while sitting 65th in defensive efficiency. Wake Forest has been solid on defense this year. They are 85th in the nation in opponent effective field goal percentage while also not sending opponents to the line. They are 21st in the nation in opponent free throw attempts per game this year. Wake Forst has also been solid in forcing turnovers, sitting with 9.3 steals per game, 70th in the nation.
Hunter Sallis has led the way this year. He is scoring 16.3 points per game this year while adding 3.8 rebounds per game, four assists, and a steal per game this year. Meanwhile, Cameron Hildreth has been solid as well. He is scoring 13 points per game, with 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.3 steals per game this year. Finally, Juke Harris is scoring 6.8 points per game this year, while adding 2.5 rebounds per game this year.
In the frontcourt, Tre'Veon Spillers has led the way this year. He is scoring 11 points per game while adding .5 assists, .5 steals, and a block per game. Still, he is dominating the rebounding game, adding nine rebounds per game. Efton Reid III has also been great in the rebounding game. He is scoring just 9.3 points per game and adding 1.3 assists per game, but he has 7.5 rebounds per game this year.
Why Xavier Will Cover The Spread/Win
Xavier is ranked 49th in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They sit 24th in offensive efficiency while sitting 84th in defensive efficiency. Xavier has scored well this year, sitting 30th in the nation in points per game this year. Further, they are 32nd in the nation in effective field goal percentage. They are also sixth in the nation in assists per game this year. Xavier has also dominated second halved this year. They are scoring 51.3 points per game in the second half, sitting fifth in the nation in second-half points. Further, they allow just 36.7 points per game in the second half.
Zach Freemantle has led the way this year. He is scoring 19 points per game this year while adding seven rebounds per game this year. He also has 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and one block per game this year. Meanwhile, John Hugley IV has been solid in the front court. He is scoring 6.7 points per game this year while adding 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game this year.
Ryan Conwell leads the way from the backcourt. Conwell is scoring 18 points per game this year while adding 1.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game this year. Dayvion McKnight has also been solid this year. He is scoring 13.7 points per game this year, with 1.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game this year. Joining him in the backcourt is Dailyn Swain. Swain is scoring ten points per game, while also adding 6.7 rebounds per game. Further, he has three assists, 1.7 steals, and one block per game this year.
Final Wake Forest-Xavier Prediction & Pick
While Wake Forest is 4-0 this year, they are just 1-2 against the spread, and their only cover this year is as an underdog. Meanwhile, Xavier is 1-2 against the spread this year. They did cover last time out, winning by 37 points when they were 26-point favorites. Xavier has been wonderful at scoring this year. They are scoring 88.7 points per game this year, and that is not a total that Wake Forest will be able to get to easily. Take Xavier in this one.
Final Wake Forest-Xavier Prediction & Pick: Xavier -4.5 (-120)