Posted on
3/6/2008 3:05:48 PM
NCAA Basketball Wagering Odds – No. 11 Xavier at St. Joes
By Eric Williams
The Xavier Musketeers, (25-4 SU, 12-13 ATS, 11-14 O/U), may be the most versatile team in the nation, but their matchup against the St. Joseph’s Hawks, (17-10 SU, 15-10 ATS, 11-14 O/U), tonight may not be a cakewalk despite the obvious differences in each team’s athleticism and depth.
The Hawks, who come into tonight’s matchup riding a two-game losing streak, are just 5-5 in their last ten games, but will have an emotional environment on hand as they are playing their final game in Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
The Musketeers have won 11 straight games coming into this A-10 showdown, including an emphatic 66-56 win over George Washington on Saturday.
The Musketeers are averaging 76.1 points per game on a solid 48.1 percent shooting mark while limiting their opponents to just 62.0 points per game on 40.1 percent shooting.
The Hawks are averaging a respectable 74.7 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting while allowing 68.3 points per game on 43.6 percent shooting.
Despite their on-court differences, each team has gone 5-5 against the spread in its last ten games, though the Musketeers are 3-1 against the spread in its last four while the Hawks are 1-3 against the spread over the same span.
Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my NCAAB Betting Free Picks.
The Musketeers are 7-2-1 ATS in their last ten Thursday games.
The Musketeers are 43-19-1 ATS in their last 63 games vs. a team with a winning percentage above .600.
The Hawks are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games following a S.U. loss.
The Hawks are 4-1 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
The Under is 4-1 in Musketeers last five games following a S.U. win.
The Under is 4-1 in Musketeers last five games following a S.U. win.
The Musketeers are 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings.
The Road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
Analysis: While the Musketeers are clearly the better team in this matchup, I’m going with the Hawks to win this contest based purely on emotion. Xavier held on at home to beat St. Joe’s 76-72 on Feb. 10 and I think St. Joe’s will be primed to return the favor with many of the school’s former greats, including the legendary Dr. Jack Ramsay. The ‘Over’ also looks pretty attractive for tonight’s contest.
NCAAB Free Picks: St. Joe’s +2 Points/Over 141 Total Points
09:00 PM EST NBA Betting Odds
Xavier -2 -110
St. Josephs +2 -110
Over 141 -110
Under 141 -110
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