The No. 12 Xavier Musketeers'(16-4, 8-1 Big East) battle the No. 20'UConn Huskies (16-5, 5-5) on Wednesday. Tip from Gampel Pavilion is set for 6:30 p.m. ET (FS1).'Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Xavier vs. UConn'odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
The Musketeers beat Georgetown 95-82 Saturday but failed to cover as 17-point home favorites. They have now failed to cover in back-to-back games, but are 5-2 against the spread (ATS) in their previous 7 and 11-8-1 ATS on the season. Xavier excels offensively, ranking 8th in points per game (84.1), 6th in field-goal percentage (50.12%) and 5th in 3-point field-goal percentage (39.73%).
UConn throttled Butler 86-56 on Sunday, covering as 15.5-point home favorites. It is 2-3 ATS in its last 5 games and only 3-7 ATS in its last 10, falling to 13-7-1 ATS this season. The Huskies’ strength lies in their defense, where they rank 6th in the nation for opponent 3-point percentage (26.9%).