The Xavier Musketeers and Duke Blue Devils each picked up wins in their openers in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament. While the Musketeers beat Florida 90-83, the Blue Devils edged Oregon State 54-51.
Both teams will now have a quick turnaround as they prepared for a Friday afternoon matchup. Which squad is the better option versus the college basketball odds?
Let’s check the latest college basketball odds, stats, injury reports and college basketball lines for Duke vs Xavier. We’ve plenty of NCAA basketball odds for you to consider.
Duke Blue Devils
The Blue Devils were 4-1 entering their Thursday contest with Oregon State, but had only really had one test on the books. That was the 69-64 loss to No. 6 Kansas.
That’s why their showing against Oregon State – a matchup against another Power Five program – gave us some more insight as to whether their No. 8 ranking is legit or not.
Oregon State provided a stern test as Duke only eked out a three-point win. A pair of Blue Devils led the way with double-doubles as Kyle Filipowski had 19 points and 14 rebounds and Ryan Young had 11 points and 15 boards.
Those who bet online are going to learn a lot more about Duke in the coming days. Next up is Xavier and, possibly later in this tournament, a matchup with Gonzaga. After that, a showdown with Ohio State looms.
If Duke is still a one-loss team by the end of the 2022 calendar year, they’re going to be viewed as a legit contender in the NCAA Tournament. If they’re a two-, three- or four-loss team at that point, many will knock them down a few pegs.
Xavier Musketeers
If Duke was challenged by Oregon State, could Xavier pull out a win? The Musketeers are an impressive 4-1 and their only loss was a two-point loss to No. 12 Indiana.
Xavier looked strong in their opener in this tournament as they handled the Florida Gators 90-83. Xavier’s offense has been cooking as it has scored at least 78 points in every game.
According to the KenPom Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Rating, the Musketeers are currently 18th in the country. The concern is that their defense ranks much lower.
When teams like Montana State are getting to 73 points and Fairfield are scoring 65, teams like Duke might be able to get to 85.
One of the things that experts who make their college basketball picks are looking for from this Xavier team is to see how its defense holds up against Power Five programs in this tournament.
Duke vs Xavier Game Injuries
Duke vs Xavier Head-to-Head
This matchup has been dominated by Duke. The teams have met four times overall and the Blue Devils have won every time.
Duke vs Xavier Game Information
- Game: Duke vs Xavier
- Location: Moda Center, Portland, OR
- Day/Time: Friday, Nov. 25, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Duke vs Xavier Live Stream: TBS.com
Duke vs Xavier Betting Lines
Duke vs Xavier Picks & Prediction
This is going to be a tough early-season contest for both teams. If you’re betting this in the sportsbook, note that this could go either way.
The Blue Devils are coming off a narrow three-point win over Oregon State, so a stiff test from Xavier could lead to a loss. At the same time, Xavier’s defense has left a lot to be desired, so it’s unclear if the Musketeers can hold Duke down.
What’s likely is that we see a tight, high-scoring affair with lots of back-and-forths. That being the case, the best bet in this showdown is the over.
The Duke Blue Devils are listed at -190 in our Vegas lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Duke Blue Devils, you have a chance to win $53. The Xavier Musketeers are +163, offering a chance to win $163 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Duke Blue Devils a 65.52% chance to win, with the Xavier Musketeers at 38.02%.
Duke vs Xavier Trends
Duke vs Xavier Edge
Duke vs Xavier Results
Duke vs Xavier Game Summary
