College basketball picks: Xavier-DePaul prediction, odds, spread for Jan. 18

The No. 8 Xavier Musketeers will hit the road for a matchup with the DePaul Blue Demons on Wednesday night from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The game will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET and air on FS1. Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

Xavier vs. DePaul odds

Spread: Xavier -7.5
Over/Under: 157.5
Moneyline: Xavier -345, DePaul +285

Xavier (15-3, 7-0 Big East) will look to stay undefeated in conference play and extend a winning streak to 12 games in this matchup after Sunday's 80-76 victory over the Marquette Golden Eagles as six players scored in double digits. The Musketeers offense that rates fifth in KenPom's adjusted efficiency makes up for a defense that rates 89th nationally. Souley Boum is the team's leading scorer with 17.6 points per game this season.

DePaul (8-10, 2-5 Big East) lost three of four games in 2023 and is coming off a 71-67 home defeat against the Seton Hall Pirates on Saturday despite Da'Sean Nelson scoring 15 points off the bench on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor. The Blue Demons check in at No. 134 overall in KenPom, and Javan Johnson leads the team with 15.7 points per game.

The Pick: Over 157.5

Let's take the over based on Xavier and its style of play. The top-five offense in adjusted efficiency moves at the 15th quickest pace in adjusted efficiency. The Musketeers should do a ton of damage on the offensive end, but their defense is bad enough that DePaul should be able to help out the total in a significant way to get this number past the total.

  
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