Xavier vs Butler Odds, Pick
| Xavier Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 156.5 -110o / -110u | +125 |
| Butler Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 156.5 -110o / -110u | -150 |
The Xavier Musketeers and Butler Bulldogs got ice cold at the wrong time — now they each need a deep run in the Big East Tournament to make the NCAA tournament. But first, they square off against one another on Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Xavier Musketeers
When Xavier lost Jerome Hunter and Zach Freemantle to injury before the year, just making the tournament seemed like a bonus. Right now, Xavier is playing with house money. I don’t think anyone thought Xavier had enough depth to make a deep run in the Big East. Sean Miller's squad is pushing for an NIT bid right now.
Last weekend, Xavier avoided one of the cardinal sins in the Big East Conference: Losing to Georgetown. The Muskies surged from down 10 with five minutes left to defeat the Hoyas. Xavier's late-game comeback showed just how quickly its offense can attack and put up points.
The Musketeers have a trio of guards willing to attack the glass in Quincy Olivari, Desmond Claude and Dayvion McKnight. Claude and McKnight use their size to attack the hoop while Olivari is an absolute flamethrower from downtown.
Olivari registered a 32-point game and a 43-point game during conference play, both against DePaul. Olivari transferred to Xavier after spending his first four seasons with Rice. Coach Miller proved he's a total wizard in the portal when Souley Boum came in — Olivari, who should make an All-Big East Conference team, is another notch on Miller's belt.
Xavier struggles at protecting the defensive glass, allowing offensive rebounds on 22% of misses. That's part of the issue without Hunter and Freemantle as the Musketeers have no interior depth. If Abou Ousmane gets in foul trouble, there aren't a ton of options behind him.
However, freshman big Kachi Nzeh started against Georgetown and scored 13 points and tallied three rebounds. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward offers a little extra beef up front next to Ousmane.
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Butler Bulldogs
Butler lost five consecutive games before ending the streak with a victory over DePaul on Saturday. The Bulldogs lost four of those games by double digits, including a 23-point home shellacking to St. John's.
The most encouraging sign in Butler’s win over DePaul was strong shooting performances from DJ Davis and Pierre Brooks. The two struggled mightily during Butler's losing streak, but the duo rattled in 10 3s in the win. Davis’ shooting ability helps open up Butler’s offense, forcing the opposition to close out strongly.
Offense remains Butler's calling card as they rank 57th in offensive efficiency. Thad Matta's squad is well-balanced on offense, shooting 3s on 38% of possessions and the rest coming from 2-point range.
Butler’s biggest issue is on the defensive end. The Bulldogs offer no interior resistance — teams shoot a staggering 51% from inside the arc against Butler. Teams drive at will, and Butler hasn’t had an answer all season. That’s a concerning trend against Xavier.
Xavier vs. Butler
Betting Pick & Prediction
Xavier just allowed 93 points to Georgetown and Butler is totally fine pushing the pace in a high-scoring showdown.
I know the total is pretty high, but I feel like we'll see a final score in the 80-point range on both ends. It could be a total shootout in Indy.
