Posted on
2/7/2008 7:05:22 PM
NCAA Basketball Betting – Xavier at Saint Louis
By Charles Jay
The Xavier Musketeers (18-4 SU, 9-8-1 ATS) are a hot team right now, and find themselves in the driver's seat in the Atlantic-10. They visit the Scottrade Center on Thursday night to play the Saint Louis Billikens (12-9 SU, 8-9 ATS) in a game slated to begin at 9 PM ET.
In the BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds, Xavier is listed as an 8.5-point favorite.
Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends related to this matchup:
* XAV is 2-4-1 ATS in its last seven games
* XAV has won 10 of its last 11 games SU
* XAV has played five of its last six games UNDER the total
* XAV has won four of its last six road games SU
* XAV has played five of its last seven road games UNDER the total
* STL has played four of its last five games UNDER the total
* STL has won 18 of its last 21 home games SU
* STL has won and covered three of the last four meetings
* STL has had the shooting edge in three of the last four meetings
* XAV has had the rebounding edge in each of the last four meetings
Saint Louis would certainly like to get some revenge for its 19-point home loss to Xavier exactly a year ago today. But it's become increasingly difficult determining when the Billikens, who scored a record-low 20 points against George Washington earlier in the season, are going to shoot the ball with any effectiveness. In the last five games, they have shot 38% against Temple and 37% against Dayton, while torching Rhode Island for 55% and LaSalle for 63% (those last two in winning efforts).
If Xavier can protect its perimeter with any kind of success (and with Saint Louis hitting less than five three-pointers a game, there's less of a concern than usual), they're going to be in good stead, because the Billikens average slightly over FIVE offensive rebounds a game, while hitting the boards has become a strong suit for rugged XU. In fact, Xavier has been out-rebounded only twice in the last 12 games.
No, we don't completely trust the Musketeers on the road. They were tired in a blowout loss at Arizona State, and mailed it in at Temple. But the matchups here should favor them, as they can collapse the defense a little more. Rick Majerus won't get untracked. We'll lay it with Xavier, the 8.5-point favorite in the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: XAVIER
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(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)