The Xavier Musketeers (17-11, 7-10 Big East) visit Carnesecca Arena to take on the St. John’s Red Storm (15-13, 7-10) Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Xavier vs. St. John’s odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
The Musketeers were once widely thought of as an NCAA Tournament team but have lost four straight games, a streak that started with an 86-73 home loss to St. John’s despite being 6.5-point favorites.
Xavier has failed to cover four straight outings and is just 3-7 against the spread (ATS) over its last 10. It is 13-15 ATS on the season and 4-5 straight up (SU) on the road.
St. John’s is 11-7 SU at home. It has won just four of its last 10 games but has managed to cover the spread in seven of those affairs. The Red Storm are 14-14 ATS on the season.
They are led by standout G Julian Champagnie who is averaging 19 points per game. Champagnie dropped a game-high 27 points in the first meeting with Xavier.
Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Xavier at St. John’s 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 10:03 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Xavier +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | St. John’s -130 (bet $130 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Xavier +1.5 (-112) | St. John’s -1.5 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 153.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
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Xavier at St. John’s odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
St. John’s 80, Xavier 75
Money line
PASS.
I’d rather take the points for the better value given I like St. John’s here.
Against the spread
BET on ST. JOHN’S -1.5 (-108).
There’s just no getting behind Xavier here. The Musketeers have lost four straight games.
They haven’t just lost conference games: they’ve failed to cover too. Xavier is the worst-covering Big East team in conference play at just 4-13 ATS. St. John’s sits in the middle of the pack at 9-7-1 ATS.
St. John’s is also playing much better as of late. It is 7-3 ATS while Xavier is just 3-7 ATS over the last 10 for each.
Considering Xavier didn’t have an answer for Champagnie at home, I doubt it will have one the road. Xavier is 4-5 ATS on the road and 4-5 ATS after a loss. Combine it all, and I’ll take the Red Storm to cover.
Over/Under
“LEAN” to the OVER 153.5 (-115).
While it’s understandable to be skeptical about a higher college basketball total, St. John’s is 16-12 O/U this season not because of its shooting but rather the pace it plays.
That should remain unchanged at home. St. John’s averages the fourth-most possessions per game in the nation. That will was imposed on Xavier the first time as the Red Storm scored 86.
Xavier is also averaging 73.1 points per game and should have its way with a weaker St. John’s defense, one that allows 74.4 points per game to its opponent.
Ultimately, the pace at which this game will be played should bode well for OVER 153.5 (-115).
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