The No. 17 Xavier Musketeers (21-8, 13-5 Big East) take on the No. 20 Providence Friars (21-8, 13-5) Wednesday at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET (FS1). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Xavier vs. Providence odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
The Musketeers defeated Seton Hall 82-60 as 1.5-point road favorites on Friday. Xavier has recorded a 6-4 record in the last 10 games.
The Friars covered as 6.5-point favorites in Sunday’s 88-68 victory on the road. Providence has won 7 of its last 10 contests.
This will be the 2nd meeting between Xavier and Providence this season. The Musketeers escaped with an 85-83 overtime win despite the Friars covering the 4-point spread and the Over connected.
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Xavier at Providence odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:42 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Xavier +140 (bet $100 to win $140) | Providence -160 (bet $160 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Xavier +3.5 (-115) | Providence -3.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 153.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Xavier at Providence picks and predictions
Prediction
Providence 82, Xavier 77
Moneyline
AVOID.
This is expected to be a close Big East contest and unless you can get Providence at -150 odds or better, I wouldn’t advise taking the moneyline in this game.
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Against the spread
PROVIDENCE -3.5 (-105) is the lean in this matchup with the Friars being perfect at home (15-0). The Musketeers are also expected to be without their 2nd-leading scorer in F Zach Freemantle.
The Friars are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games and 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games overall.
Over/Under
With how electric these offenses are, OVER 153.5 (-115) is the pick despite it being such a high number. Xavier and Providence average a combined 160.7 points per game and both teams convert 35-plus percent of their 3-point shots.
The Musketeers are 4-1 to the Over in their last 5 games against a team with a winning record. The Friars have gone Over in each of their last 4 games overall.
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