A long winning streak hasn’t just vaulted the Xavier Musketeers to the top spot in the Big East, but it has put them in the running for a No. 1 seed in March Madness. Xavier hopes to keep it rolling but faces a tough road matchup next time out against the Creighton Bluejays.
Xavier likely won’t have as easy a time of it as it did in the first game between these teams, and may even be the underdog on the road. Creighton is pushing for as high of a seed as possible as well so this game means a lot to both teams.
At 2:30 p.m. ET, tune into FOX for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Saturday, February 10, 2018, at the CenturyLink Center Omaha.
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Odds Analysis
Xavier is 22-3 straight up and an impressive 17-8 against the spread. The Musketeers have covered in six of their eight attempts on the road this season. Xavier has only been the underdog four times this season and covered in three of them. The Musketeers were underdogs at Butler next time out and came away with the upset win over Butler.
Creighton is 17-6 straight up and 13-10 against the spread. The Bluejays have covered in nine of their 13 games at home this season. Creighton has covered in 12 of their 16 games as favorites this season so are hoping to have the oddsmakers giving them the benefit of the doubt in this one.
Key Stat
50. That’s the percentage from the floor that both teams are shooting on the year. Xavier is at 50.3 percent while Creighton is at an even 50.0. The Musketeers are averaging 85.2 points per game, while Creighton puts up 86.1. Both teams are among the best in the country at putting the ball in the hoop.
This game is expected to be a shootout as both teams are happy to push the pace.
Creighton has surpassed 90 points in a game nine times this season, including a stretch of games early on where they hit 100. Xavier has also hit 90 nine times and has gotten in trouble on the year when it has struggled to score.
Last Meeting
The first time these two teams faced off this season on January 13, it was all Xavier. The Musketeers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, cruising to a 92-70 win over Creighton.
Trevon Bluiett led the effort for Xavier, finishing with 24 points, including five three-pointers. Kaiser Gates added another 16 points for the Musketeers and had eight rebounds in the win.
Mitch Ballock and Marcus Foster each had 16 points apiece for Creighton, which just finished well below its season average in scoring. The Bluejays shot 40.7 percent from the field and took 11 shots less than Xavier in the loss. The Bluejays need to play much better to win at home in this one.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
Xavier has put together an impressive resume this season, but it’s interesting that the projections will likely make them road underdogs two straight times. Creighton is a good team, but the Musketeers proved last time out they can outplay the prediction.
Take Xavier to pick up another win as it tries to hold off Villanova for the Big East title. A strong finish would give the Musketeers a great chance at a No. 1 seed in the tournament, and a win here would bolster that case.
Take Xavier to knock off Creighton because of some impressive play in crunch time. The Musketeers are a great choice on the moneyline.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Xavier 87, Creighton 85
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