Villanova vs Xavier Odds, Lines & Picks (Feb. 21)
After suffering back-to-back heartbreaking losses by a combined three points, the Xavier Musketeers (20-7, 15-11-1 ATS) got back in the win column on Saturday, with an 82-68 victory over DePaul.
On Tuesday, February 21st, Xavier are 5.5-point favorites against a Villanova Wildcats (13-14, 10-17 ATS) side who are struggling through their first losing season in more than a decade. Tipoff for this affair goes at 6:30 pm ET from the Cintas Center.
We’ve got all the Villanova vs Xavier odds for you to check out below. As well, our best bet and pick for this Big East affair will be offered up for you to consider.
Villanova vs Xavier Odds
Odds as of February 20th from FanDuel. Claim the FanDuel Sportsbook bonus code.
Since conference play began, the Wildcats have seriously struggled on the road. They’re just 2-6 as visitors in league play and they’ll have their hands full when they drop in on an Xavier squad that own a 14-1 home mark this season.
Villanova Wildcats Swift Fall From Grace
Just last season, Villanova entered March Madness as the 6th ranked team in the entire country. They have been a perennial favorite in the odds to win the NCAA tournament for most of the last decade. Things have fallen apart this campaign.
Long time head coach Jay Wright retired and Villanova are in a dog fight just to qualify for the Big East tournament, never mind grab a spot in the big dance. Much was expected of freshman, Cam Whitmore, but the forward missed seven games earlier this year with an injury and is averaging just 12.1 points per game on the season.
Lack of buckets is something that’s been an issue for the squad as whole, not just the Wildcats rookie. Putting up just 69.5 points per game, the Wildcats are 227th in scoring in the nation. They’ve hit the under in the college basketball odds in six of their last eight games.
Xavier Musketeers Offense Is on Point
Sitting one game behind Marquette with just a couple weeks left to play, the Musketeers have an eye on taking the regular season title. The primary reason for their terrific season has been an outstanding offense that’s tops in the conference and 9th in the country with 82.6 points per game.
Since the beginning of the season, their odds to win March Madness have shortened tremendously from +8500 at the outset of the campaign, to their current odds of +4000.
They have absolutely been cooking at home, with their only loss as hosts coming back on November 18th when they lost 81-79 to Indiana. It’s been over a month since an opponent has kept them from putting up at least 80 at the Cintas Center. As such, they’re 11-3-1 hitting the over at home this season.
Villanova vs Xavier Prediction
In the two seasons prior to this one, Villanova swept the season series against Xavier. Undoubtedly, the Musketeers are looking forward to payback, having already defeated the Wildcats 88-80 in Philadelphia last month.
Villanova vs Xavier Recent Results
To put it bluntly, taking Xavier to cover is a no-brainer here. They do have a number of players who will be out of action or playing while recovering from injuries, but other than forward Zach Freemantle, those are mostly role and bench players.
Our prediction is to take the gift that is being offered from the sportsbooks here and take the Musketeers to win by more than 5.5 points in the Villanova vs Xavier odds.
Pick: Xavier Musketeers -5.5 (-105)
