Cincinnati at Xavier College Basketball Picks & Predictions 12/2/2017

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Cintas Center

Get todays College basketball odds and lines on this game.

The Cincinnati Bearcats travel to Cintas Center to play the Xavier Musketeers on Saturday, December 2, 2017. The opening line for this game has Xavier as 3 point favorites.

Cincinnati heads into this matchup with a mark of 7-0. They currently have a point differential of 30.6 as they are averaging 87.9 points per contest while giving up 57.3 per game. Xavier has an overall record of 6-1. They are averaging 89.0 points per game and surrendering 69.0, good for a point differential of 20.0.

Valuable Cincinnati Bearcats Betting Trends

The Cincinnati Bearcats are 3-2 against the spread this season

The Cincinnati Bearcats are 1-4 against the over/under this year

Important Xavier Musketeers Betting Trends

The Xavier Musketeers are 6-1 against the spread this season

The Xavier Musketeers are 5-2 against the over/under this year

Key Cincinnati Bearcats Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Xavier Musketeers Injuries

No key injuries to report

Player Spotlight

Jacob Evans averages 11.7 points per game in 24.7 minutes per contest this season. He averages 4.3 assists per contest and 3.4 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage is 50% for the year while his free throw percentage is 68%. Gary Clark averages 13.7 points per game while playing 22.6 minutes per night this season. He pulls down 8.1 rebounds per game and dishes out 2 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 54% while his free throw percentage is at 88%.

Player Spotlight

J.P. Macura averages 14.6 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 27.9 minutes per contest. He also averages 5.1 rebounds per contest and 3.3 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 59% and his free throw percentage is 83%. Trevon Bluiett averages 19.7 points per game while playing 32.1 minutes per contest this year. He grabs 6.1 rebounds per game and has 3.3 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 54% and his free throw percentage is at 88%.

Useful Team Statistics

The Bearcats allow 57.3 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 4th in the nation. They also allow a 35% shooting percentage and a 31% average from behind the arc, ranking them 2nd and 93rd in those defensive categories. Opponents average 30.0 rebounds a game which ranks 21st, and they give up 10.4 assists per contest, which puts them in 37th place in the country. They force 17.3 turnovers per game which ranks them 319th in college basketball. Cincinnati averages 87.9 points per contest this season, which ranks them 26th in Division 1. Their average scoring margin is 30.6 and their shooting percentage is 49% as a team, which has them ranked 51st. Behind the arc they shoot 40% which is good for 43rd in D-1. They average 45.4 rebounds per game and 19.0 assists per game, which ranks them 5th and 18th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 174th with 13.6 per game.

Useful Team Statistics

The Musketeers surrender 69.0 points per contest, which ranks them 117th in the country. Their defense allows a 38% shooting percentage and a 30% average from 3-point range, ranking them 43rd and 56th in those defensive statistics. They rank 46th with 10.6 assists allowed per contest, and 30th with 30.4 rebounds surrendered per game. The Musketeers are 25th in the nation in forcing turnovers with 11.1 per game this season. Xavier is 20th in Division 1 with 89.0 points per game this year. They are 2nd in the country in shooting at 55%, while their average scoring margin is 20.0. They shoot 38% from 3-point range, which is good for 79th in the nation. They are 126th in college basketball in rebounding with 38.1 boards per game and 28th in assists per contest with 18.4. The Musketeers are 272nd in turnovers per game with 12.3.

Advanced Statistics

The Bearcats are 2nd in the country in defensive rating with 77.9, and their offensive rating of 119.4 is ranked 18th. They are 99th in college basketball in pace with 73.5 possessions per 40 minutes, and their eFG% of 56% is 47th. As a unit they are 51st in the nation in true shooting percentage with 59% and they shoot 3-pointers on 37% of their shot attempts, ranking 181st in D-1. Cincinnati is 234th in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 15.4 times per 100 possessions while forcing 21.1 on defense. Their defensive eFG% for the year currently is 41%, which is 9th in the country.

Advanced Statistics

Xavier is 250th in college basketball in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 15.3 times per 100 possessions while forcing 13.5 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 44%, which is 40th in the nation. The Musketeers are 6th in the country in offensive rating with 123.9, and their defensive rating of 96 is ranked 120th. In terms of pace they are 166th in Division 1 with 71.9 possessions per 40 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 62% is 5th. As a team they are 3rd in D-1 in true shooting percentage with 65% and they shoot 3-pointers on 36% of their shots, ranking 202nd in the nation.

Who will win tonight's Cincinnati/Xavier college basketball game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take Xavier -3

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