Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Xavier Musketeers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Wake Forest vs Xavier NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Cincinnati.

Wake Forest vs Xavier Prediction

Betting on today's Demon Deacons and Musketeers game? Catch the action at Cintas Center in Cincinnati, OH, as the Musketeers hosts this showdown at 12:00 ET on FS1. The over/under for this game is set at 157.5 points, and Xavier is favored by -5 against Wake Forest in a non-conference matchup.

Wake Forest vs. Xavier Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Xavier Musketeers
Where: Cincinnati at Cintas Center
Date: Saturday, November 16th
Betting Odds XAV -5, WAKE +170 | XAV -205 O/U 157.5

Demon Deacons Preview: Will the Demon Deacons Pull Through as the Away Underdog?

Wake Forest Demon Deacons Recent Game/Games

Wake Forest picked up an 85-80 win over USC Upstate on Wednesday, November 13th, in a home game. The Demon Deacons were -29 favorites going in, but they didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points reached 165, surpassing the O/U line of 152.

Wake Forest led 41-38 at halftime and scored 44 points in the 2nd half while allowing 42. Though they got the win, the Demon Deacons will need to tighten up defensively moving forward.

Demon Deacons Offense Breakdown

Wake Forest put up 85 points in their last game, shooting 50.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 58.2%. They were dominant inside, hitting 72.4% of their two-point attempts, while struggling from beyond the arc, connecting on just 26.9% of their threes (7/26). At the free-throw line, they shot 66.7%, making 22 of 33 attempts.

Mister Dean led the way with 24 points in 24 minutes, shooting 71.4% from the field. Hunter Sallis added 23 points and 6 assists, and Davin Cosby hit 5 threes, shooting 71.4% from deep. Efton Reid III was efficient, making 5 of 6 shots for 14 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.

Demon Deacons Team Defense

Wake Forest gave up 80 points in their last game, with the opponent shooting 50% from the field. The Demon Deacons struggled to defend inside, allowing 72% shooting on two-point attempts (21/29).

On the perimeter, Wake Forest held the opponent to 26% shooting from three-point range (7/26). They also sent the opponent to the free-throw line 33 times, where they converted 22 free throws (66%).

Musketeers Preview: Will Xavier Find a Way to Win at Home?

Xavier cruised to a 94-57 win over Jackson State on Tuesday, November 12th. Playing at home, the Musketeers entered the game as heavy favorites, laying 26 points, and they covered the spread with ease.

After leading 40-25 at halftime, Xavier turned up the heat in the 2nd half, scoring 54 points while allowing just 32. The game’s total points finished at 151, just under the O/U line of 155.

Musketeers Offense Breakdown

Xavier's offense was firing on all cylinders, putting up 94 points with a field goal percentage of 54.1% and an effective field goal percentage of 67.2%. They were deadly from beyond the arc, hitting 16 of 31 threes at a 51.6% clip, while also shooting 80% from the free-throw line.

Jayme Mitchell Jr. led the way with 26 points, knocking down 5 threes, while Zach Freemantle added 21 points, hitting 4 of 5 from deep. The Musketeers dished out 28 assists, with Freemantle, Ryan Conwell, and John Hugley IV each contributing 3 assists.

Musketeers Team Defense

Despite Xavier's defensive struggles, they managed to hold their opponent to 57 points, even while allowing them to shoot 54% from the field. The Musketeers gave up 16 threes on 31 attempts, with their opponent hitting 51% from beyond the arc.

Xavier also sent their opponent to the line 15 times, where they converted 12 free throws at an 80% rate. The Musketeers limited second-chance opportunities, giving up just 6 offensive rebounds.

Demon Deacons vs Musketeers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last three road contests, the Demon Deacons offense has averaged 70 points per game while allowing an average of 79. Wake Forest posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 0-3 ATS.
Through their last five home games, Xavier has an ATS record of just 1-4. However, their overall record was 2-3 while averaging 75 points per game.
Through their last three games as the betting underdog, the Demon Deacons have a strong record vs the spread going 2-1. Their straight up mark in these contests is 1-2.
Although the Musketeers have a strong straight up record in their last five games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the spread going 2-3.