The No. 13 Xavier Musketeers go for a third straight win when they visit the Butler Bulldogs for a Big East battle on Friday night. Xavier is coming off a rout of St. John’s at home on Saturday and is atop the Big East college basketball standings by a half-game over second-place Marquette.
Butler snapped a five-game losing streak with its own home win over the Red Storm on Tuesday, and the Bulldogs are tied with St. John’s for eighth place in the conference.
With few NCAA basketball games today, this matchup should be a good one for your wagering. Let’s take a closer look at the game and the NCAAB odds for it and put together some Xavier vs Butler best bets.
Xavier Musketeers vs. Butler Bulldogs Matchup Information
Xavier Musketeers vs Butler Bulldogs
Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN.
Date and Time: Friday, February 10, 2023, 7:00 PM ET.
How to Watch: FS1
Xavier Musketeers vs. Butler Bulldogs Odds
Xavier Musketeers
Moneyline: The ranked Musketeers have been on a roll of late, so taking them on the moneyline is one of the Xavier vs Butler best bets you can make. Making that wager will get you Xavier at -305, but all it has to do is win the game outright.
Spread: If you’re feeling even more confident in a Musketeers victory, you can make a point-spread wager among your NCAAB picks. Xavier is giving seven points to the host Bulldogs in this contest at -110 odds.
Over/Under: The over/under for Xavier is set at 76½ points, with -115 odds. The Musketeers are averaging 83.8 points on the season and have scored 82 or more points in four of their last five contests.
Butler Bulldogs
Moneyline: Butler is getting +253 odds on the moneyline, which can be a lucrative bet if it comes through with an outright Bulldogs win. If you’re feeling confident in the home team, you might want to look at this wager.
Spread: A more likely bet to make for the Bulldogs is the point spread, where you’ll be getting seven points at -110 odds. Getting some points against a ranked team is certainly a smart wager to look at among your Xavier vs Butler best bets.
Over/Under: Butler averages 66.5 points a game this season, so the 69½-point number for the over/under seems a bit lofty. The Bulldogs hadn’t scored over 60 points in their previous five games before scoring 68 in Tuesday’s win over St. John’s.
Recent Scores
This is the first time this season these two teams will square off, with the NCAAB schedule putting the rematch as the regular-season finale for both teams on March 4. The two teams played three times in 2021-22, with Xavier sweeping the two regular-season matchups but Butler prevailing in overtime in the Big East Tournament.
Xavier Musketeers vs. Butler Bulldogs Analysis
Musketeers’ Road Success
Xavier is one of the better NCAA basketball teams when it comes to playing on the road, putting together a 5-2 record as the visiting team this season. When determining your best Xavier Musketeers picks, you have to factor in their success on the road.
Senior guard Souley Boum is considered one of the top college basketball players in the country, as he leads the Musketeers with 16.3 points and 5.0 assists per game. Boum is also averaging 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest, and has scored 17 or more points in three of the last four games.
Senior forward Zach Freemantle had been a key for Xavier, averaging 15.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, but he’s been on the college basketball injury report since late January due to a foot injury that will keep him out of this game.
The Musketeers are one of the top March Madness picks because of their balanced scoring attack, with five players averaging in double figures, including guard Colby Jones (15.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists) and forward Jack Nunge (14.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 blocks).
Bulldogs’ Home Field Dominance
The Bulldogs have struggled against ranked teams this season, though they did come up with a big win over Kansas State early in the season at home. Hinkle Fieldhouse has always been a hard place to win in, which certainly helps the Butler Bulldogs odds for this contest.
Sophomore guard Jayden Taylor leads four double-digit scorers for Butler, averaging 12.2 points as well as a team-high 1.4 steals. He’s been on a scoring roll lately, finishing with 19 points in back-to-back games entering this contest.
The Bulldogs can hurt an opponent from the perimeter with their shooting, with guards Chuck Harris (11.7 points) and Simas Lukosius (11.4 points, 3.0 assists) able to get hot from 3-point range, hitting 36.4 and 41.2%, respectively.
Harris is questionable for Friday’s contest with a concussion that has caused him to miss the last two games. Senior center Manny Bates is a presence in the paint on both ends of the floor, averaging 11.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per contest while shooting 60.6% from the field.
Xavier Musketeers vs. Butler Bulldogs Betting Pick and Prediction
Pick 1: Xavier has been playing very well and shouldn’t have trouble getting an easy win on the road against Butler. Take the Musketeers and give the seven points.
Pick 2: The Bulldogs struggle to score in most games, so take the under 69½ points, as they’re facing a top team in the Musketeers.
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