DePaul Blue Demons vs Xavier Musketeers Matchup

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

Xavier vs DePaul Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Musketeers and Blue Demons. The game is starting at 4:00 ET on FS1, and it's hosted by the Blue Demons at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. Get ready to place your bets! Xavier is favored by -5.5 in this Big East conference matchup the against DePaul. The over/under for the game is set at 151.5 points.

Xavier vs. DePaul Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Xavier Musketeers at DePaul Blue Demons
Where: Chicago at Wintrust Arena
Date: Saturday, January 11th
Betting Odds XAV -5.5, XAV -225 | DEPAUL +181 O/U 151.5

Musketeers Preview: Can the Musketeers Deliver Being Favored on the Road?

Xavier Musketeers Recent Game/Games

The Musketeers dropped to 9-7 on the season after an 82-72 home loss to St. John’s on Tuesday. Xavier entered the game as +1.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game went over the 152.5 O/U line, with a combined 154 points.

Xavier trailed 41-37 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 35 points while allowing 41. The Musketeers will need to tighten up defensively and find a way to get back on track in their next outing.

Musketeers Offense Breakdown

Xavier's offense struggled from the field in their last game, shooting just 36.7% overall and 22.2% from three-point range, hitting only 4 of 18 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 40%, but they excelled at the free-throw line, connecting on 24 of 25 attempts for a 96% success rate.

Zach Freemantle led the way with 22 points, while Zuby Ejiofor and RJ Luis Jr. each contributed 18 points, with Ejiofor also grabbing 12 rebounds. Simeon Wilcher added 15 points, and Dailyn Swain was efficient, hitting 4 of 5 shots and pulling down 8 rebounds.

Musketeers Team Defense

Despite Xavier holding their opponent to just 36% shooting from the field, they still gave up 82 points, largely due to a strong performance at the free-throw line. The opposing team shot 96% from the charity stripe, hitting 24 of 25 free throws.

From beyond the arc, Xavier's defense limited their opponent to just 4 made threes on 18 attempts, a 22% shooting rate. They also allowed 7 offensive rebounds in the game.

Blue Demons Preview: Are the Blue Demons Ready for a Home Win?

DePaul fell to 9-7 on the season after an 85-80 road loss to Seton Hall on Wednesday. The Blue Demons entered the game as +2.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 165, surpassing the O/U line of 133.5.

DePaul looked strong early, leading 41-26 at halftime. However, they struggled in the 2nd half, scoring just 27 points while allowing 42 to Seton Hall.

Blue Demons Offense Breakdown

DePaul put up 80 points in their last game, shooting 42.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.5%. They connected on 13 threes, shooting 37.1% from deep, and hit 50% of their two-point attempts. At the free-throw line, they made 15 of 19, good for 78.9%.

Isaiah Coleman and Dylan Addae-Wusu each scored 24 points, with Addae-Wusu adding 7 assists. Both hit 5 threes, shooting 55.6% from beyond the arc. CJ Gunn also made 5 threes, finishing with 21 points, and Troy D'Amico was 4 of 5 from deep, scoring 18 points on 83.3% shooting overall.

Blue Demons Team Defense

DePaul's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 85 points on 52% shooting. They allowed the opponent to hit 54% of their two-point attempts, going 18/33.

From beyond the arc, DePaul's opponent shot 50%, making 11/22 threes. They also sent them to the line 22 times, where they converted 16 free throws (72%).

Musketeers vs Blue Demons Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last five road contests, Xavier has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-4, while averaging 72 points per game.
Although DePaul has a straight up record of 0-3 in their last three home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 0-3. The team averaged 66 points per game in these games.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Blue Demons have a straight up record of 0-5 and an ATS mark of 0-5.
As the betting favorite, the Musketeers have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 3-0.