The Xavier Musketeers (10-9) travel to face off against the Connecticut Huskies (17-2) on Sunday, January 28th. This game will be played at XL Center in Hartford and televised on FS1. Connecticut is coming off a win in their previous game, while Xavier is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Creighton. Tip-off is set for 12:00 ET.
Xavier Musketeers vs Connecticut Huskies
The Xavier Musketeers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Despite being the underdog, Xavier has been the underdog in eight games this season, and they have gone 2-6 in those games. On the road, the Musketeers are 2-5 this season, and they are coming off an 85-78 loss to Creighton.
Overall, Xavier is 10-9 this season, and they are 4-4 in Big East play. Their average scoring margin on the road is -0.1, compared to +8.2 at home, where they have gone 8-4.
As the underdog this season, Xavier has been very good vs. the spread with a record of 6-1-1. Their ATS mark for the year is 12-6-1. On the road, the Musketeers have gone 5-2 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, Xavier has a mark of 6-3-1.
This season, Xavier’s over/under record is 10-9 and the average over/under line in their games is 147.8. So far, 10 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line of 149.5. In their last three games, the average scoring total is 167 points and their over/under record over their last 10 games is 6-4.
The Connecticut Huskies Are Coming Off A Win
Connecticut is a perfect 12-0 at home this season, and they have won their last 12 games in Storrs. On the year, the Huskies are 17-1 when favored, and they are favored by 11.5 points today.
Over their last 10 games at home, Connecticut is a perfect 10-0, and they have won their last three games overall. In their most recent game, they beat Villanova, 66-65.
Against the spread, UConn has gone 7-5 at home this season and they are 10-8-1 overall. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Huskies are 5-4-1 vs. the spread.
On the season, the over/under record for Connecticut games is 10-9 and today’s line of 149.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (146). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 129 points and their OU record during this stretch is 1-2. For the year, 12 of their games have finished with less points than today’s OU line.
Xavier Offense Breakdown
The Musketeers’ offense wrapped up their last game with 78 points, aligning closely with their current season average of 76.8 points per contest. The top scorer for the Musketeers was Desmond Claude with 20 points, while Dayvion McKnight also chipped in with 20 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quincy Olivari (G) | 17.9 | 5.1 | 1.9 |
| Desmond Claude (G) | 16.2 | 4.7 | 3.8 |
| Dayvion McKnight (G) | 11.1 | 3.9 | 4.8 |
Connecticut Offense Breakdown
Coming off their recent game, the Connecticut offense tallied 66 points in a matchup against Villanova. Their field goal percentage for the game was 40.8%, and they made 8 threes. The team’s top scorer is Cam Spencer, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 15.4, while Tristen Newton also maintains a PPG average of 15.4 leading up to the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Spencer (G) | 15.4 | 4.3 | 3.2 |
| Tristen Newton (G) | 15.4 | 6.5 | 5.9 |
| Alex Karaban (F) | 15.0 | 5.8 | 1.7 |
Xavier Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Xavier defense is giving up an average of 71.7 points per contest. Xavier’s three-point defense is currently 132nd in the country at 7.2 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 41.0% of their shots vs. Xavier.
Connecticut Team Defense
At this time, the Huskies’ defense is positioned 31st in the country, permitting 64.6 points per game. So far, the Connecticut defense is giving up an average of 7.5 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 9.6 times per game (376th).
Musketeers vs Huskies Trends
- In their last three road games, Xavier has averaged 76 points per game while allowing 72. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 3-0.
- Across their five previous home games, Connecticut has an ATS mark of 2-2-1. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-1 while averaging 74 points per game.
- Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Musketeers have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-1-1.
- Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Huskies have a strong record of 5-0. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-2-1.
Musketeers vs Huskies Prediction
For a point-spread wager in this Huskies vs. Huskies game, we suggest taking the Huskies at -11.5. Even though our predictions have the Huskies winning 75-68, we see the Musketeers as the better choice on the point-spread.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 149.5 and given that our model is projecting 143 points between the teams, we like the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 28, 2024 Connecticut Huskies, Xavier Musketeers