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Georgetown vs. Xavier Prediction, Odds, Key Players for Friday, Jan. 19

College basketball betting preview, prediction and best bets for Xavier vs. Georgetown.

By Reed Wallach

Jan 13, 2024; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Xavier Musketeers head coach Sean Miller signals to the
Jan 13, 2024; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Xavier Musketeers head coach Sean Miller signals to the / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
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Sean Miller's Xavier has rebounded from a slow start to the season to rattle off three of five wins and get back to .500 in Big East play.

The Musketeers are likely better than its 9-8 record, elite on defense and starting to round into form on offense, and now can pad its stats against Georgetown, who is far worse than its 8-9 record at just 1-5 in Big East play.

Can Xavier take care of business as a double digit favorite? Here's my best bet for Friday night's Big East action.

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Georgetown vs. Xavier Odds, Spread and Total

Georgetown vs. Xavier Betting Trends

  • Xavier is 11-6 against the spread (ATS) this season
  • Xavier is 6-4 ATS as a favorite
  • Xavier is 3-3 ATS in Big East play
  • Georgetown is 3-3 ATS in Big East play

Xavier vs. Georgetown How to Watch

  • Date: Friday, Jan. 19
  • Game Time: 6:30 PM EST
  • Venue: Cintas Center
  • How to Watch (TV): Fox Sports 1
  • Georgetown Record: 8-9
  • Xavier Record: 9-8

Georgetown vs. Xavier Key Players to Watch

Georgetown

Jaydn Epps: Ed Cooley landed Epps in the transfer portal from Illinois, and he has hit the ground running of the engine behind the Hoyas new look offense. He's averaging 18 points and four assists while upping his 3-point percentage to nearly 35% on seven attempts per game.

Xavier

Desmond Calude: The Musketeers lost Zach Freemantle before the season started for the entire year, but Claude has stepped in after being a bench player last season. Claude has been doing it all for the Xavier offense, scoring nearly 16 points per game while grabbing almost five rebounds and four assists.

Georgetown vs. Xavier Prediction and Pick

Xavier is in line for a blowout performance, getting a sound offensive performance to match its elite defense. The Musketeers grade out as a top 30 defense this season in terms of KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency metric, but the offense has struggled this season without Freemantle, outside the top 200 in effective field goal percentage.

However, Georgetown has a porous transition defense, bottom 60 in terms of transition defensive rate and allowing teams to score 1.2 points per possessions (236th in the country). Xavier wants to run on offense, 10th in transition rate, which can offset some of the team's interior struggls, 257th in two-point percentage.

Meanwhile, the Musketeers defense has been nails all season, allowing the 19th lowest effective field goal percentage this season and do a good job of keeping teams off the free throw line, 111th in opponent free throw rate.

We are starting to see Xavier pick up its play, blowing out Providence on the road last week by 20 and beating Butler on Tuesday at home by 14, I think the team keeps it rolling on Friday.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Track Reed's bets here!

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