The Xavier Musketeers (15-16) travel to face off against the Connecticut Huskies (28-3) on Thursday, March 14th. This game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York 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 Marquette. Tip-off is set for 12:00 ET.
Xavier Musketeers vs Connecticut Huskies
The Xavier Musketeers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
The Musketeers are 15-16 on the season and have lost two straight games. In Big East play, they are 9-11 compared to 6-5 in non-conference matchups. On the road, Xavier is 4-9 this year, and they have gone 2-1 in their last three games away from home.
For the season, Xavier is 2-12 when they are the underdog, and they are 13-4 when they are favored. They have been the underdog in 14 of their 31 games. So far, the Musketeers have an average scoring margin of -4.8 on the road.
As the underdog this season, Xavier has gone 6-7-1 vs. the spread. On the road, they are 6-7 ATS and have gone 1-4 in their last 5 road games vs. the spread. Overall, the Musketeers’ ATS record is 15-14-2.
This season, the over/under record for Xavier games is 16-15. So far, 17 of their games have finished with more points than today’s over/under line of 150.5. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and their games this season have averaged 150.6 points per game.
The Connecticut Huskies Are Coming Off A Win
Connecticut enters this game with a record of 28-3 and a four-game win streak. They have been dominant at home this season, going a perfect 18-0 with an average scoring margin of +24.4 points per game.
So far, the Huskies have been favored in 30 of their 31 games, going 28-2 in those contests. Most recently, they defeated Providence by a score of 74-60.
Connecticut has an ATS record of 19-11-1 this season, including an 11-7 mark at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Huskies have gone 8-2 vs. the spread.
Today’s over/under line of 150.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Connecticut’s games this year (144.9). So far, 11 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total is 141 points.
Xavier Offense Breakdown
Coming off a good offensive performance, Xavier’s offense scored 80 points against Marquette. Their field goal percentage for the game was 48.1%, and they went 21/27 from the free-throw line. Offensively, the Musketeers have a season long field goal percentage of 43%, which is 262nd in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 160th in percentage and 241st in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quincy Olivari (G) | 19.5 | 5.5 | 2.0 |
| Desmond Claude (G) | 16.0 | 4.1 | 3.2 |
| Dayvion McKnight (G) | 12.4 | 3.8 | 5.0 |
Connecticut Offense Breakdown
The Connecticut offense is coming off a game in which they scored 74 points vs. Providence. Overall their field goal percentage was 42.6% while connecting on 11 threes. Alex Karaban led the team in scoring, putting up 16 points. Additionally, Stephon Castle contributed 14 points for the Huskies.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tristen Newton (G) | 15.0 | 7.1 | 5.8 |
| Cam Spencer (G) | 14.7 | 4.6 | 3.4 |
| Alex Karaban (F) | 14.2 | 5.1 | 1.4 |
Xavier Team Defense
At this time, the Musketeers’ defense is positioned 240th in the country, permitting 74.2 points per game. Against Marquette in their most recent game, the Xavier defense gave up a total of 86 points while allowing Marquette to hit 48% of their shots.
Connecticut Team Defense
This season, the Connecticut defense has been impressive, holding the 16th position in the country while permitting an average of 64.0 points per contest. So far, the Connecticut defense is giving up an average of 8.3 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 9.2 times per game (377th).
Musketeers vs Huskies Trends
- Across their ten previous road games, Xavier has an ATS mark of 5-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-6 while averaging 75 points per game.
- When looking at their past three matchups at home, Connecticut has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 71 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
- Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Musketeers have a straight up record of 0-5. Their record vs the spread in these games was 0-5.
- Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Huskies have a straight up record of 9-1. But, their mark vs the spread was just 8-2.
Musketeers vs Huskies Prediction
For a point-spread wager in this Huskies vs. Huskies game, we suggest taking the Huskies at -15.5. Even though our predictions have the Huskies winning 75-69, we see the Musketeers as the better choice on the point-spread.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 150.5, and our model projects the Musketeers and Huskies to reach a combined total of 144 points. Our bet is on taking 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:March 14, 2024 Connecticut Huskies, Xavier Musketeers