No. 13 Xavier Looks for Season Sweep
The No. 13 Xavier Musketeers will visit 19th-ranked Connecticut on Wednesday looking to complete a season sweep of the Huskies.
The Huskies started the season hot, with their 14-game win streak placing them as one of the final undefeated teams in the nation and earning them a No. 2 ranking at the time. However, a meeting with Xavier on Dec. 31 in Ohio ended the streak when the Musketeers won 83-73.
The win was the eighth among an 11-game winning streak for Xavier while it began a losing stretch for UConn, which lost four of its next five.
The Musketeers sit atop the Big East Conference with an 8-1 record and have the chance to earn a ranked win to kick off their road trip. The Huskies, meanwhile, are fifth in the Big East at 5-5 in the conference and are looking to avenge their earlier loss.
According to the college basketball odds, Xavier (+3300) is tied for 13th and UConn (+2200) is tied for 11th to win the national championship. The Musketeers (-105) are first and the Huskies (+3000) are fifth in odds to win the Big East title.
Let’s check the latest college basketball news, stats, injury reports and college basketball lines for Xavier vs UConn. We’ve got plenty of NCAA basketball picks for you to consider.
Musketeers Continue to Win With Offense
Aside from their recent loss against DePaul last week, the Musketeers have been strong offensively, winning 12 of their last 13 games.
Xavier leads the Big East in points and is second in field-goal percentage, averaging 84.1 points while shooting 50.1% from the field. Despite their strong offense, the Musketeers struggle defensively, as their 75.4 points allowed per game is the second-worst in the conference.
The Musketeers are led by Souley Boum, who averages 16.5 points, tied for third in the conference. However, it was Zach Freemantle and Colby Jones who stepped up in Xavier’s bounce-back win over Georgetown, scoring 30 and 20 points, respectively.
Freemantle also led the scoring in Xavier’s loss to DePaul, scoring 18, though the Musketeers shooting 38% from the field and 20% from the arc proved too difficult to overcome.
With all five of Xavier’s starters averaging in double figures and the team shooting 39.7% from 3-point range for fifth in the nation, the Musketeers’ offense continues to be tough to stop.
Huskies Bounce Back
The Huskies rebounded from a three-game losing skid in a major way, defeating Butler by 30 points in an 86-56 win.
UConn’s winning formula has been strong defense. The Huskies lead the Big East in both average points allowed and blocks, allowing 63.5 points while averaging 4.9 blocks a game. The Huskies are also solid offensively, ranking third in the conference in points with an average of 79.3, leading to a +15.8 point differential that is sixth in the country.
The Huskies led a class in rebounding against Butler to turn things around, outrebounding the Bulldogs 48-22. They also put on an offensive rebounding clinic, grabbing 18 offensive boards to Butler’s four, leading to 18 second-chance points for UConn.
Adama Sanogo led the way with 14 rebounds, doubling his team-high average of 7.1 boards. He also leads the team and conference in scoring, averaging 17.2 points. However, it was Jordan Hawkins behind the turnaround against Butler, putting up 20 points for UConn while Sanogo poured in 17.
The Huskies have had trouble recently against conference opponents, but their combined offensive and defensive ability should help them get back on track.
Xavier vs UConn Game Injuries
Xavier vs UConn Head-to-Head
The last time these two matched up was New Year’s Eve 2022 in Cincinnati when Xavier won 83-73 to end UConn’s undefeated record.
The Musketeers and Huskies have traded blows the past few years, but Xavier owns the 3-2 record.
Xavier vs UConn Game Information
- Game: Xavier (16-4, 8-1 Big East) vs UConn (16-5, 5-5)
- Location: Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, CT
- Day/Time: Wednesday, Jan. 25, 6:30 p.m. ET
- Xavier vs UConn Live stream: TBS.com
Xavier vs UConn Betting Lines
Xavier vs UConn Picks and Picks and Prediction
Both teams have looked strong on offense, but where UConn also thrives on defense, Xavier struggles to slow opponents.
Though the Huskies are one of the best shot-blocking teams in the conference, Xavier is one of the best teams at scoring from outside the arc, which is where the Musketeers may turn to avoid a block party.
The Musketeers scored 83 against the Huskies the first time around, but 23 of those points came from the free-throw line as three of UConn’s starters ran into foul trouble.
Xavier got the better of the Huskies the first game, but UConn’s ability to outrebound opponents on the offensive end should prove to be an advantage, as well as its 11-1 home-court record. The Huskies should protect the home court and build on their recent win with a victory over a ranked opponent.
The Connecticut Huskies are listed at -275 in our Vegas NCAAB lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Huskies, you have a chance to win $36. The Xavier Musketeers are +225, offering a chance to win $225 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Connecticut Huskies a 73.33% chance to win, with the Xavier Musketeers at 30.77%.
Xavier vs UConn Trends
Xavier vs UConn Edge
Xavier vs UConn Results
Xavier vs UConn Game Summary
