Xavier vs Providence Picks and Odds

• Xavier is a 1-point road favorite over Providence on Wednesday (Feb. 24th, 9 pm EST)
• The Musketeers beat the Friars 74-73 in their first meeting, erasing a 7-point deficit in the final minute
• See below for analysis, odds and a betting prediction

The Big East is our focus on Wednesday (Feb. 24, 9 pm EST) as Xavier visits Providence to battle the Friars. The Musketeers (12-4, 5-4 Big East) are currently projected to be one of the 68-teams to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, but a loss to Providence (11-11, 7-9 Big East) could change that in a hurry.

Xavier vs Providence Odds

Odds taken Feb. 23rd.

Xavier opened up as a slim 1-point favorite, in a game that features a total of 139.5. The Musketeers snapped a two-game losing streak on Sunday, knocking off the Butler Bulldogs 63-51 as an 11-point favorite.

X Gon’ Give It To Ya

Zach Freemantle led the way with 17 points and 10 boards versus Butler, racking up his third consecutive double-double, and the sixth of his season. Colby Jones added 13 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, while Jason Carter poured in 10.

🎥 | Zach Freemantle led the Musketeers with 17 points and Colby Jones added his first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds as Xavier beats Butler, 63-51, at Cintas Center.#LetsGoX
Presented by @RumpkeNews pic.twitter.com/A1NGZ7xpL7

— Xavier Basketball (@XavierMBB) February 22, 2021

The Musketeers as a team shot 43.6% from the field, but a dreadful 2-of-19 from beyond the arc. They held the Bulldogs to 29.5% from the field and 19.4% from 3, while forcing 14 turnovers and recording 3 blocks.

📸 | Second-half photos vs Butler! #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/5WOsIIjovs

— Xavier Basketball (@XavierMBB) February 22, 2021

Xavier is certainly no offensive juggernaut, but they do average a respectable 72.2 points per game in Big East play, and rank second in the conference in assists and total rebounding.

Defensively, their last outing notwithstanding, is where they typically struggle. They rank ninth out of 11 Big East teams in points allowed per game, and are seventh at defending the 3. They’ve allowed at least 73 points in six of their past nine outings, but fortunately for them, Providence is one of the weaker offensive teams in the conference.

Friars Fall Again

The Friars haven’t played in a week, and were beaten soundly by UConn (73-61) last time out. Alyn Breed paced the Providence offense with 14 points, while David Duke was the only other Friar to reach double figures, pouring in 11.

Breed with the Euro pic.twitter.com/QbGyqoUwdt

— Providence MBB (@PCFriarsmbb) February 17, 2021

Providence delivered a dreadful shooting performance against the Huskies, knocking down just 36.2% of its looks, while losing the rebounding and assist battle. They allowed UConn to shoot 46.8% from the field and 41.7% from 3, just six days after beating the Huskies by 11.

The Friars rank eighth in points per game in the conference and ninth in field goal percentage, and only three teams yield a higher shooting percentage to opposing programs.

Last Time They Met

This is a rematch from last month, when the Musketeers squeaked out a 74-73 victory on their home court. Xavier erased a 7-point deficit in the final minute, capped by a Jones 3-ball with only one tenth of a second remaining to seal the win.

Providence allowed Xavier to shoot 48.3% from the field in that outing, and with the Musketeers’ NCAA Tournament hopes hanging in the balance, we should expect another strong offensive performance from them on Wednesday night.

Xavier is 3-1 ATS on the road this season, covering by an average of over 9 points in their victories. The Friars meanwhile, are 2-4 against the number in their last six contests, 10-12 overall, and 3-6 following a loss.

Give me the better team, with more at skate, in essentially a pick’em.

Pick: Xavier Musketeers -1 (-110)