The No. 24 Xavier Musketeers (11-2, 1-1 Big East) visit the Butler Bulldogs (8-5, 1-1) Friday in Indianapolis. Tip-off in the Big East battle at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse is slated for 8:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Xavier vs. Butler odds and lines and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Xavier hasn’t played since a 71-58 loss Dec. 21 at Villanova. The Musketeers are a sharp-shooting team with a 52.1% effective field goal mark but one that still hauls down a lot of offensive rebounds.
The Musketeers have been solid-but-inconsistent from 3-point range, and they’ve connected on just 26.8% of their attempts the last two games combined.
The Bulldogs have played two games since Dec. 21: they defeated DePaul 63-59 Dec. 29 and lost to Seton Hall 71-56 Tuesday. Butler plays the slowest-pace brand of basketball in the Big East and its 60.8 points allowed per game is the top average in the circuit.
Xavier at Butler odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:05 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Xavier -270 (bet $270 to win $100) | Butler +210 (bet $100 to win $210)
- Against the spread (ATS): Xavier -6.5 (-105) | Butler +6.5 (-120)
- Over/Under (O/U): 130.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
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Xavier at Butler odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Xavier 69, Butler 62
Money line
The Musketeer layoff is a wildcard consideration, but Xavier has the bigger, more talented, deeper roster. XU is a veteran-laden squad and perhaps the layoff would be a bigger deal with a younger team.
Xavier is a likable play minus the points, but X bettors thinking more rust or concerned with a backdoor cover may want to consider the MUSKETEERS (-270).
Against the spread
XU is 9-4 against the spread and 4-1 ATS in its last five games as a favorite. The Bulldogs are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games as an underdog. The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five series meetings.
Xavier won at Butler 68-55 in January last season, and that was despite being a minus-7 in turnovers and only logging 5 offensive rebounds.
The Bulldogs are solid on defense but expect Xavier’s size and athleticism to open up good looks, second-chance buckets, and a lot of trips to the free-throw line. The Musketeers have averaged a robust 21.5 trips to the line per game.
It’s a Friday night game, and in my view this play is tucked away as a hidden gem on this week’s overall college hoops schedule. On high confidence, BACK XAVIER -6.5 (-105).
Over/Under
Too much of a coin flip: AVOID.
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