Xavier vs Providence Odds
| Xavier Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 151.5 -110o / -110u | +145 |
| Providence Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 151.5 -110o / -110u | -175 |
March is finally here! The greatest month of college basketball is headlined by a marquee Big East matchup.
The Xavier Musketeers got back on track in a big way last time out against Seton Hall. They'll need that performance to carry over as they have another tough road test ahead of them.
Providence put together a similar performance as it routed Georgetown in its last game. Now the Friars get the opportunity to avenge a tough loss to this Xavier team in front of a lively home crowd.
With the No. 2 seed in the Big East Tournament on the line here, let's dive in to find the best bet for this matchup.
Xavier Musketeers
The Musketeers put together a tremendous offensive performance in their first meeting against Providence, and they may be able to improve on it this time around.
Xavier has a sizable advantage from beyond the arc in this matchup. It's fourth in the country in 3-point shooting percentage, and it upped its 3-point volume in the first matchup.
The Musketeers went 8-of-23 from deep, but if they can sink a few more, it will also accentuate their significant advantage in the paint. The duo of Jack Nunge and Zach Freemantle has been formidable as they are both physical presences.
Providence is a smaller team that has not been great at stopping second-chance buckets. Look for the Xavier big men to clean up the Musketeers' outside shots and keep the offense rolling.
Providence Friars
The Friars are going to need to change their style of play if they want to keep up with the Musketeers in this one. They're typically a team that likes to work the ball inside and play through the big men.
The issue is that Ed Croswell and Bryce Hopkins will be the smaller men down low. However, Hopkins can still make a big impact if he opts to stretch the floor.
This Xavier team has proven to be vulnerable from the perimeter, and the numbers show it as it's 291st in 3-point percentage allowed. Fortunately, Providence has a quartet of guys who can burn the Musketeers.
We saw Providence make this adjustment in the first meeting, as it went 9-for-20. Haslametrics expects the Friars to shoot well once again. The Friars are projected to hit nearly 38% from deep, which is 3% above the Division I average.
Xavier vs Providence Betting Pick
While Providence may have a sizable home-court advantage, there's not much separating these two teams on the court. The first matchup was proof of that, as we needed overtime to settle it.
These two teams will go at it again and try to match each other up-and-down the court. With the 3s flying and the tempo faster than usual, we may see this one go down to the wire again.
So, I'm taking the over and watching the scoreboard light up.
Pick: Over 153.5 (Play to 154) |
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