The No. 3 seed Florida Gators (20-13) visit Cintas Center to take on the second-seeded Xavier Musketeers (19-13) Sunday in an NIT second-round matchup. Tip from Cincinnati is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we look at the Florida vs. Xavier odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Xavier defeated 20-win Cleveland State 72-68 Tuesday in the opening round. However, the Musketeers failed to cover as 11-point home favorites.
Call it odd timing, but Xavier fired head coach Travis Steele the day after the win and hired Sean Miller Saturday. Miller previously coached the Muskies 2004-09 before leaving for the top job at Arizona. Seven-foot F Jack Nunge leads Xavier in scoring with 13.1 points per game.
As for Florida, it is just 4-6 on the road this season. The Gators are coming off a 79-74 first-round Wednesday win over Iona, failing to cover as 6.5-point favorites.
The Gators are just 15-18 against the spread (ATS), including 3-9 ATS over their last 12. Florida is led by 6-foot-11 F Colin Castleton, who averages team-bests in points (16.4 per game) and rebounds (9.1 per game).
See also: Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports
Florida at Xavier 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 6:12 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Florida +133 (bet $100 to win $133) | Xavier -165 (bet $165 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Florida +3.5 (-120) | Xavier -3.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 144.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
[tipico]
Florida at Xavier odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Xavier 76, Florida 71
Money line
PASS.
Given how much better Xavier has been at home (14-5) compared to on the road (4-6), Musketeers (-165) is a good play, but I’d rather suggest a bettor take the far superior spread odds in this Round of 16 battle.
Against the spread
BET XAVIER -3.5 (-105).
The Gators have been awful on the road this season, going 4-6 straight up and 4-6 ATS. They are also just 3-4 ATS this season as an underdog.
With Xavier’s Nunge able to match the size of Florida’s Castleton, it’ll be the two teams’ other players that will have to step up.
Florida’s three leading scorers after Castleton all have shot under 40% from the field this season. Xavier’s top-five scorers all shoot over 42% from the field.
Also, the Musketeers’ top-six scorers stand 6-foot-4 or taller. They have a tall, lengthy roster, and the fact that the Gators already shoot poorly and rank sub-300 in 3-point shooting will make scoring even tougher.
I expect Xavier to take this one and cover at home.
Over/Under
LEAN to the OVER 144.5 (-115).
The Gators have been pushing the pace as of late. They are 5-1 O/U over their last 6 games despite having just a 15-17-1 O/U season-long record. They have scored 79 or more points in 4 of their last 5.
Meanwhile, Xavier is 7-3 O/U in its last 10 games and 9-9-1 O/U at home.
While both teams have had their ups and downs this season, each has been hot as of late, and I expect that to continue in this Sunday matchup.
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]