Check out our free Providence vs Xavier pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Cincinnati. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Providence vs Xavier Pick & Preview: Wednesday, February 1st Betting Odds
Friars vs Musketeers Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Providence Friars at Xavier Musketeers
- Where: Cincinnati at Cintas Center
- Date: Wednesday, February 1st
- Betting Odds: Providence +3.5, PROV +140 | XAV -175 O/U 152.5
Friars Preview:
The Providence Friars will be looking to pick up their 23rd win of the season and are in the middle of a 3 game win streak. On the road, the Friars will be playing their 9th game of the season, having gone 5-4. So far, the Friars have been the underdog 8 times, going 3-5 straight up. Heading into today’s contest, they are the +3.5 underdogs on the spread.
Bryce Hopkins comes into today’s game as the Friars’ leading scorer at 16.36 points per contest. Not only has Hopkins been key to the team’s scoring efforts, but he is Providence’s top rebounder at 9.14 boards per contest. Behind Hopkins, the team has benefited from the strong play of Devin Carter, who is second on the team in scoring at 13.05 points per game. Overall, he has hit 43.8% of his shots and is adding 4.64 boards per game.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for Providence this season, as they are currently ranked 179th in college basketball at 71.8 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Friars’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 34.3%, placing them 225th in the NCAA.
Musketeers Preview:
Heading into today’s matchup vs Providence, the Xavier Musketeers will be taking the floor for the 23rd time this season and have an overall record of 17-5. Currently, the Musketeers have been the home team 14 times, sitting with a record of 12-2. The Musketeers’ are sitting with a betting line that is -3.5 points in their favor. For the season, Xavier has been favored to win in 15 games, sitting with a mark of 14-1.
Xavier will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Souley Boum who is averaging 16.09 points per game for the Musketeers. Boum is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Souley Boum will be looking for additional help in the scoring deparment, as the team’s is going to be without Zach Freemantle. Through 22 games he is 2nd on the team at 15.23 points per contest. Overall, he has connected on 58.5% of his field goal attempts.
On offense, Xavier is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 73.9 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 22 games, they have only hit 32.5% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 35.68% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Free Spread Prediction: Xavier Musketeers -3.5
Heading into this matchup, our NCAA betting model has identified this game as a profitable opportunity and recommends taking the Xavier Musketeers to pick up the win and cover the spread as -3.5 point betting favorites. Although Xavier as a team is just 171st in overall shooting percentage, we see their offense putting together a strong performance against the Friars’ defense. In addition, the Musketeers have made bettors money who have taken them to cover at home, as they are 6-4 (last 10). At -3.5 we see there being plenty of value in grabbing the Musketeers to come out on top and cover.
