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Villanova vs. Xavier Prediction and Odds: Musketeers Looking to Avoid a Sweep by the Wildcats

By Matt De Saro

The Villanova Wildcats are on the road tonight looking for two straight wins over the Xavier Musketeers.
The Villanova Wildcats are on the road tonight looking for two straight wins over the Xavier Musketeers. / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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The No. 14 Villanova Wildcats and the No. 17 Xavier Musketeers are set to do battle tonight in Big East action at the Cintas Center. This is a crucial game for both teams in the Big East race and will be one of the more competitive matchups of the night. 

The Wildcats have been the team to beat in the Big East for the past few years, but Xavier is a very capable challenger. They get their second chance tonight to gain some ground in the Big East after getting beat by the Wildcats recently, 71-58. It was only their second loss of the year and first in the conference. If Xavier hopes to keep pace with the pack leader, this is a very important game for them to win. 

Here are the odds for this matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Villanova vs. Xavier Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

  • Villanova +1.5 (-110)
  • Xavier -1.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

  • Villanova +105
  • Xavier -125

Total: 137.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

Villanova vs. Xavier Prediction and Pick

Obviously, the last game between these two teams was a bit of a fluke with Xavier losing by 13 points and failing to cover the 5.5 points. In this game, the spread is a lot tighter at just 1.5 and I think that provides some solid value. 

Villanova might have won that game handily, but they really didn’t play that well in hindsight. The Wildcats shot just 28 percent from the field and 65 percent from the charity stripe. Despite their offensive woes, Xavier was unable to make the most of it and had a pretty awful game. Where Villanova did do well was in the paint thanks to Eric Dixon who scored 15 points for the Wildcats down low. Overall, the offense revolves around Collin Gillespie and the team’s success is tied to his. In the first game, Xavier was unable to contain Gillespie who went a perfect six-for-six from downtown. 

While I don’t think that Xavier will get blown up again here, I don’t think that they have adjusted all that much after the last meeting between these two. Therefore, I have to expect another Villanova win here. 

Pick: Villanova +105 to win

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