Cincinnati Bearcats vs Xavier Musketeers Matchup

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

Xavier vs Cincinnati Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Musketeers versus the Bearcats? Tip off is at at 2:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, OH. The over/under for this game is set at 144.5 points, and Cincinnati is favored by -7 against Xavier in a non-conference matchup.

Xavier vs. Cincinnati Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Xavier Musketeers at Cincinnati Bearcats
Where: Cincinnati at Fifth Third Arena
Date: Saturday, December 14th
Betting Odds CIN -7, XAV +237 | CIN -298 O/U 144.5

Musketeers Preview: Can Xavier Stun the Crowd at Fifth Third Arena?

Xavier improved to 8-2 on the season with a dominant 119-58 win over Morgan State on Tuesday. The Musketeers, playing at home, entered the game as -29.5 favorites and covered the spread comfortably.

Leading 52-24 at halftime, Xavier poured in 67 points in the 2nd half while allowing 34. The game’s total points reached 177, surpassing the over/under line of 155.5.

Musketeers Offense Breakdown

Xavier's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 119 points with a field goal percentage of 60.3%. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 69.1%, thanks in part to their 66.7% shooting from three-point range, hitting 12 of 18 attempts. They also connected on 58% of their two-point shots and went 25 of 34 from the free-throw line, good for 73.5%.

The Musketeers dished out 25 assists and grabbed 16 offensive rebounds. Zach Freemantle led the way with 27 points and 10 rebounds in just 22 minutes, shooting 72.7% from the field and 66.7% from three. Marcus Foster added 18 points, hitting 4 of 6 from deep, while Ryan Conwell was perfect from three, making both of his attempts and finishing with 15 points.

Musketeers Team Defense

Despite Xavier's defensive struggles, they managed to limit their opponent to just 58 points. The Musketeers allowed a 60% shooting performance, with their opponent hitting 41 of 68 shots.

From beyond the arc, Xavier's opponent shot 66%, making 12 of 18 three-point attempts. The Musketeers also sent their opponent to the line 34 times, where they converted 25 free throws at a 73% clip.

Bearcats Preview: Will the Bearcats Defense Show Up at Home?

Cincinnati improved to 7-1 on the season with an 84-67 win over Howard on Sunday. Playing at home, the Bearcats were -28.5 favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 151, surpassing the over/under line of 141.

Cincinnati led 36-32 at halftime and pulled away by scoring 48 points in the 2nd half while allowing 35. The Bearcats will look to build on this win as they continue their season.

Bearcats Offense Breakdown

Cincinnati's offense put up 84 points in their last game, shooting 53.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 59.4%. They connected on 63.4% of their two-point attempts, while hitting 34.8% from beyond the arc, going 8-for-23 from three-point range.

Blake Harper led the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds, despite missing all three of his three-point attempts. Simas Lukosius added 18 points, hitting 3-of-6 from deep, and Aziz Bandaogo contributed 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

Bearcats Team Defense

Despite Cincinnati's defensive struggles, they managed to hold their opponent to 67 points. However, they allowed a 53% shooting performance, with the opposing team hitting 34 of their 64 attempts.

Inside the arc, Cincinnati gave up 26 two-point field goals on 41 attempts, a 63% conversion rate. From three-point range, their opponent shot 34%, making 8 of 23. Cincinnati also put them on the line 13 times, where they made 8 free throws.

Musketeers vs Bearcats Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Xavier has a straight up record of 2-3 in their last five road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 2-3. The team averaged 71 points per game in these games.
Across their last three home contests, Cincinnati has been good against the spread posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 72 points per game.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Musketeers have a straight up record of 0-5 and an ATS mark of 0-5.
The last ten games that Cincinnati was favored, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 9-1 straight up.