-Picks.jpg)
Xavier likely saw its chance at winning the Big East go down the drain with a loss at Creighton on Tuesday. Their No. 5 ranking, the highest ever achieved by the program, is also a thing of the past. The Musketeers look to gain a split of their two-game road trip with a visit to Butler, a team they beat handily just over a month ago.
You can bet on college basketball odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
HOW THE XAVIER MUSKETEERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
No Xavier team has won 20 games so quickly or been ranked so high. Yet, the No. 5 Musketeers don’t seem all that impressed by the inroads they’ve made in the school’s basketball history. They’re thinking the same as everyone else: this team has the potential to rank as the school’s best when the season’s done.
What makes the Musketeers so potent is their depth and balance. Four players average double figures, led by Trevon Bluiett at 15.7 points. Two others average nine per game. Bluiett is the only player averaging 30 minutes per game with six others between 20 and 29 per game.
Such depth allows coach Chris Mack to substitute freely and keep a fresh set of players on the court, which helps with the defense and their push-the-pace style of offense.
Xavier displayed that depth on Jan. 2 in an 88-69 home win over Butler. Five players reached double figures in scoring and eight played at least 11 minutes. The Musketeers suffered a blow to their Big East title hopes with Tuesday’s loss to Creighton, ending a five-game losing streak. This team has bounced back all season and they will once again.
HOW THE BUTLER BULLDOGS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Bulldogs beat arguably the hottest team in the conference on Wednesday night, stopping Seton Hall’s four-game winning streak with an 81-75 victory. It was their third straight win to set up Saturday’s showdown at home against the fifth-ranked team in the country.
The winning streak has the Bulldogs sniffing a NCAA tournament berth and victories over ranked opponents will certainly help the resume. Coach Chris Holtmann likes how his team has turned up the defensive pressure during the team’s winning streak, and said his team has been improving on that end of the court for “about the last three-and-a-half to four weeks.”
That stretch of improved play came after Xavier ripped the Bulldogs by connecting on 56.4 percent of their shots and went 10 of 21 on three-point attempts. That display led to an 88-69 Musketeers victory.
Butler has also been a different team since Roosevelt Jones moved to the point. The team is harder to defend with him there and they’ve become better defensively. With Jones at the point, the Bulldogs have reverted to that balance hat sent them to an 11-1 non-conference record.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Butler is the darling of the college basketball world since making consecutive trips to the Final Four several seasons ago. And they play in the most nostalgic arena in the land. That doesn’t make them a better basketball team, however. While the Bulldogs have depth of their own, there isn’t enough to keep up with Xavier’s turnstile. Yet, Butler’s starting five can match up with any in the Big East. Kelan Martin has been a scoring machine, averaging 25.3 points during the win streak and is even with Kellen Dunham for the team lead at 16.1 per game. But there is a big drop in production after the starters, giving Xavier a huge advantage. The Musketeers have to be pissed after blowing an opportunity to keep pace with Villanova by losing to Creighton. They’re now two games back in the standings and a rematch with the Wildcats in 11 days could be meaningless. Xavier handled Butler easily in the first meeting, and while this one is likely to be closer than the 19-point spread on Jan. 2, the Musketeers will prevail.
Xavier 79, Butler 69
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Xavier Musketeers and Butler Bulldogs will go down Saturday, February 13, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. ET at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The matchup will be televised live on FOX.
