The Xavier Musketeers are quietly putting together a banner season. While the team isn’t generally talked about at the top tier of national championship contenders, Xavier continues to string wins together and now sits atop the Big East. It will look to remain there for another few days at least when it hosts the Seton Hall Pirates next time out.
The Musketeers are pushing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament while is jockeying for position more in the middle of the pack. Xavier is the better team and gets this game at home so it will certainly be favored.
The Musketeers won the first matchup between these teams and hopes to finish off the regular season sweep with another victory.
At 9 p.m. ET, tune into FS1 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at the Cintas Center.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Seton Hall is 17-8 straight up and 11-14 against the spread. The Pirates have gone 3-5 against the spread on the road this year. They have covered in half of their six games as the underdog.
Xavier is 23-3 straight up and 18-8 against the spread. The Musketeers have covered in 10 of their 15 games at home. Xavier is 14-7 against the spread as the favorite.
Lookahead Situation
Xavier may not be able to resist looking ahead at this point in the schedule. The Musketeers are a half-game ahead of Villanova in the conference standings, but most people think the Wildcats are the better team and will eventually overtake them for the Big East crown.
The teams will face off after this game and Xavier will have the home court advantage. If the Musketeers are able to knock of Villanova, they will be in the driver’s seat to not only win the conference but also be a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.
There is no doubt people are pumped up for that huge game, but Xavier must stay focused on this one against Seton Hall before setting its sights on the big-time showdown with Villanova,
Player To Watch
Desi Rodriguez — The Pirates are led in scoring by Rodriguez, who is averaging 17.8 points per contest. The senior forward is shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from three-point range.
Rodriguez is adding 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. He has a lot of experience, playing a big role in all four years with the team and averaging in double digits the past three.
Rodriguez had 24 points, four rebounds, two blocks and two steals last time out in a close loss to Georgetown. The Pirates have three other players averaging more than 13 points per game so Rodriguez doesn’t have to do it all, but he will likely need to have a strong game in order for Seton Hall to have a legitimate shot at pulling off the upset.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
Seton Hall is a solid team that has been nationally ranked this year but has lost three straight games heading into this matchup. Xavier has won eight in a row, although six of those have been by single digits, including a one-point win over Creighton last time out.
The Musketeers should be able to eke out a victory in this game, but it could come down to the wire. Seton Hall is the pick to cover the spread despite the loss. Look for the scoring total to be high as both of these teams are comfortable running up and down the floor at a fast pace.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Xavier 83, Seton Hall 80
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!
