Connecticut Huskies vs Xavier Musketeers Matchup

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

Connecticut vs Xavier Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Huskies and Musketeers. The game is starting at 8:00 ET on FOX, and it's hosted by the Musketeers at Cintas Center in Cincinnati, OH. Get ready to place your bets! This Big East conference matchup has an over/under of 144.5 points, and Xavier is favored to win by -1.5 at home vs. Connecticut.

Connecticut vs. Xavier Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Connecticut Huskies at Xavier Musketeers
Where: Cincinnati at Cintas Center
Date: Saturday, January 25th
Betting Odds XAV -1.5, UCONN -107 | XAV -114 O/U 144.5

Huskies Preview: Can the Huskies Lock in a Road Win?

Connecticut Huskies Recent Game/Games

Connecticut improved to 14-5 on the season with a narrow 80-78 win over Butler on Tuesday. The Huskies were -13.5 favorites at home but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 158 exceeded the over/under line of 143.5.

UConn led 39-31 at halftime but allowed Butler to score 37 points in the second half while managing just 29 points themselves. Despite the win, the Huskies will look to tighten up their defense moving forward.

Huskies Offense Breakdown

Connecticut put up 80 points in their last game, shooting 47.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 53.7%. They hit 35% from beyond the arc, connecting on 7 of 20 attempts, and went 9 for 14 from the free-throw line, shooting 64.3%.

The Huskies dished out 20 assists and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds. Jahmyl Telfort led the way with 25 points, while Solo Ball added 23, hitting 5 of 10 from three-point range. Alex Karaban contributed 19 points and 6 assists, and Andre Screen was efficient, shooting 83.3% from the field.

Huskies Team Defense

Connecticut's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 78 points on 47% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 53% of their two-point attempts, with 25 makes on 47 tries.

From beyond the arc, Connecticut's opponent shot 35%, connecting on 7 of 20 three-point attempts. They also sent them to the free-throw line 14 times, where they made 9, shooting 64%. Connecticut gave up 13 offensive rebounds.

Musketeers Preview: Can the Musketeers Please their Home Crowd?

Xavier Musketeers Recent Game/Games

Xavier’s season record fell to 12-8 following a 79-71 road loss to St. John’s on Wednesday. The Musketeers entered the game as +7.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 150, surpassing the O/U line of 147.5.

Xavier led 40-30 at halftime but struggled in the second half, scoring just 25 points while allowing 35. This second-half performance was a key factor in the loss.

Musketeers Offense Breakdown

Xavier put up 71 points in their last game, shooting 40% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc, hitting 8 of 20 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was 46.7%, and they were strong at the free-throw line, making 15 of 18 attempts for 83.3%.

Ryan Conwell led the way with 21 points, hitting 4 of 9 threes, while Kadary Richmond added 19 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 52.9% from the field. Zuby Ejiofor was efficient, shooting 63.6% and grabbing 8 rebounds.

Musketeers Team Defense

Despite Xavier's defensive efforts, they gave up 79 points, with the opposing team shooting 46% from the field. Most of the damage came inside, where they allowed 27 two-point baskets on 48 attempts, a 56% shooting rate.

Xavier did manage to limit the opposition's three-point shooting, holding them to just 1 made three-pointer on 12 attempts (8%). However, they sent the other team to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 22 free throws (81%). Xavier also allowed 11 offensive rebounds.

Huskies vs Musketeers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Connecticut has played well in their previous three road games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 71 points per game while allowing 65. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
In their last three home games, Xavier has averaged 69 points per game while allowing 66. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Huskies have gone 3-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the Musketeers have a straight up record of 10-0. Their record vs the spread in these games was 7-3.