.jpg "Xavier-at-Villanova-(FS1)")
Man is Big East basketball fun. The Big East is full of great teams that can knock any other opponent off if they are having an off night. There is only one undefeated team in conference left already after just three games of action.
Coming into the season, the Villanova Wildcats were considered the team to beat in the Big East. They have dominated in this conference over the past few seasons and are likely to be the No. 1 team in the country heading into this game.
The Xavier Musketeers were seen as the second- or third-best team in the Big East coming into the season and have not disappointed either. They have some great wins already this year and are the top contender for the conference crown this year.
This will be the game of the week.
This war on the floor will go down Wednesday, January 10, 2018, at 8 p.m. ET at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The game will be televised live on FS1. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Wednesday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Xavier is looking to avenge one of its worst performances the last time it took the court. The Musketeers turned the ball over way too often against Providence this weekend, and they sent the Friars to the line too much as well. Although Xavier outrebounded Providence by 16 in this one, those were two of the big reasons behind its loss. The other was not being able to get good shots off, as the Friars swatted away nine shots.
The Musketeers are still one of the top teams to bet on though. Xavier is 12-5 ATS this season and is 3-1 ATS on the road. Over has been a great wager in Xavier games too with a record of 11-6 on the year.
Over has been an even better bet in Villanova games. The Wildcats have seen 11 of their 15 games finish north of the total. Each of their last seven games has finished over as well.
Villanova has beaten the odds most of the year. This team is 10-5 ATS with some good non-conference covers. However, the Wildcats are just 2-3 ATS at home.
Matchup to Watch
The matchup between these backcourts is going to be one of the best you will find in college basketball this season.
Xavier is led by guards Trevon Bluiett and J. P. Macura. These two have different styles, but they are the most talented players on their team. Bluiett is a high-volume scorer who is largely efficient, while Macura is a solid second option and great on defense.
Jay Wright has produced some amazing guards over the past few years and this season is no exception. Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges have been downright amazing this year. Although Brunson and Bridges are guards, they are both shooting better than 51 percent from the field and 45 percent from three-point range. It’s tough to match up with scorers like that.
Key Stat
The Wildcats have had some defensive issues as of late. Both DePaul and Marquette were able to score on this team. The Blue Demons dropped 85 on Villanova, while the Golden Eagles cracked 90. Villanova won both of those games thanks to its offense, but couldn’t outscore Butler two weeks ago.
Butler was able to surpass 100 points against Villanova in order to hand this team its first loss of the season. The three-point shooting for the Bulldogs in that game was great, and the Wildcats guards struggled to close out. Don’t be surprised to see Xavier fire away here.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
The total for this game should be one of the higher ones we see. Both these teams can score and neither will be afraid to play at a fast pace. With how each side has fared, if the number is lower than 170, look at playing the over.
As for the side, Xavier is probably going to be getting too many points since it will be on the road here. I think this will be a one possession game, so I’ll go with the Musketeers to cover.
College Basketball Odds: Xavier 89, Villanova 87
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