College basketball picks: Xavier-UConn prediction, odds, spread for January 25

The No. 13 Xavier Musketeers look to stay atop the Big East as they take on the No. 19 UConn Huskies on Wednesday, January 25 at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will be available to watch on FS1.

Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

Xavier vs. UConn

Spread: UConn -6.5
Over/Under: 155.5
Moneyline: UConn -260, Xavier +220

Xavier (16-4, 8-1 Big East) suffered a shocking upset against DePaul last week, but bounced back with a win over Georgetown to remain atop the conference standings. Before that loss, the Musketeers were on an 11-game streak that included wins over Creighton, Marquette, and UConn. With 84.1 points per game, Xavier ranks eighth in the nation in scoring offense and sixth in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom.

UConn (16-5, 5-5 Big East) beat Butler in their latest game, bouncing back from a one-point loss to Seton Hall. The Huskies spent some time at the top of the rankings early this season, opening 14-0, but have gone just .500 in conference play with losses to Marquette and St. John's. Xavier was actually the team to hand the Huskies their first loss of the season, and they have lost five of their last seven. Despite the losses, they rank ninth in adjusted offensive efficiency and 12th in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.

The first time these two teams faced off, Xavier won 83-73.

The Pick: Xavier +6.5

Neither of these teams have had a very good week. A loss to DePaul for Xavier with a lethargic performance over a bad Georgetown team may spell disaster as the Musketeers head into February, while UConn has dropped five of their last seven games. We've seen these two teams play at Xavier already this season, and while they may not be able to pull off another double-digit win on the road. It might be an ugly one, but the Musketeers should be able to cover this spread.

  
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