DePaul at Xavier College Basketball Picks & Predictions 12/30/2017

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Cintas Center

Get todays College basketball odds and lines on this game.

The DePaul Blue Demons travel to Cintas Center to play the Xavier Musketeers on Saturday, December 30, 2017. The opening line for this game has Xavier as 17 point favorites.

DePaul heads into this matchup with a mark of 7-6. They currently have a point differential of 4.4 as they are averaging 74.9 points per contest while giving up 70.5 per game. Xavier has an overall record of 13-1. They are averaging 87.2 points per game and surrendering 71.1, good for a point differential of 16.1.

Valuable DePaul Blue Demons Betting Trends

The DePaul Blue Demons are 7-6 against the spread this season

The DePaul Blue Demons are 7-6 against the over/under this year

Important Xavier Musketeers Betting Trends

The Xavier Musketeers are 11-3 against the spread this season

The Xavier Musketeers are 10-4 against the over/under this year

Key DePaul Blue Demons Injuries

12/09/17 G Devin Gage Achilles is out for season

Key Xavier Musketeers Injuries

No key injuries to report

Player Spotlight

Marin Maric averages 13 points per game in 24.1 minutes per contest this season. He averages 0.6 assists per contest and 5.6 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage is 54% for the year while his free throw percentage is 90%. Max Strus averages 17.5 points per game while playing 34.3 minutes per night this season. He pulls down 4.5 rebounds per game and dishes out 2.2 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 48% while his free throw percentage is at 80%.

Player Spotlight

J.P. Macura averages 12.4 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 27.5 minutes per contest. He also averages 4.1 rebounds per contest and 2.8 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 50% and his free throw percentage is 85%. Trevon Bluiett averages 20 points per game while playing 33 minutes per contest this year. He grabs 5.5 rebounds per game and has 3.1 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 48% and his free throw percentage is at 88%.

Useful Team Statistics

The Blue Demons allow 70.5 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 145th in the nation. They also allow a 42% shooting percentage and a 39% average from behind the arc, ranking them 116th and 318th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 35.3 rebounds a game which ranks 191st, and they give up 13.9 assists per contest, which puts them in 223rd place in the country. They force 15.8 turnovers per game which ranks them 286th in college basketball. DePaul averages 74.9 points per contest this season, which ranks them 183rd in Division 1. Their average scoring margin is 4.4 and their shooting percentage is 43% as a team, which has them ranked 254th. Behind the arc they shoot 31% which is good for 301st in D-1. They average 37.2 rebounds per game and 14.8 assists per game, which ranks them 140th and 129th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 310th with 11.7 per game.

Useful Team Statistics

The Musketeers surrender 71.1 points per contest, which ranks them 156th in the country. Their defense allows a 40% shooting percentage and a 33% average from 3-point range, ranking them 44th and 98th in those defensive statistics. They rank 143rd with 12.7 assists allowed per contest, and 24th with 30.6 rebounds surrendered per game. The Musketeers are 18th in the nation in forcing turnovers with 11.1 per game this season. Xavier is 16th in Division 1 with 87.2 points per game this year. They are 5th in the country in shooting at 52%, while their average scoring margin is 16.1. They shoot 39% from 3-point range, which is good for 59th in the nation. They are 65th in college basketball in rebounding with 39.1 boards per game and 28th in assists per contest with 17.8. The Musketeers are 255th in turnovers per game with 12.6.

Advanced Statistics

The Blue Demons are 162nd in the nation in offensive rating with 105.8, and their defensive rating of 99.6 is ranked 165th. In terms of pace they are 210th in the country with 70.2 possessions per 40 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 48% is 282nd. As a team they are 278th in college basketball in true shooting percentage with 52% and they shoot 3-pointers on 32% of their shots, ranking 299th in Division 1. DePaul is 323rd in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 13.9 times per 100 possessions while forcing 19.4 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 51%, which is 217th in the nation.

Advanced Statistics

Xavier is 260th in college basketball in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 15.4 times per 100 possessions while forcing 13.5 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 46%, which is 55th in the nation. The Musketeers are 8th in the country in offensive rating with 120.7, and their defensive rating of 98.3 is ranked 132nd. In terms of pace they are 117th in Division 1 with 72.3 possessions per 40 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 59% is 13th. As a team they are 3rd in D-1 in true shooting percentage with 63% and they shoot 3-pointers on 35% of their shots, ranking 230th in the nation.

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

Guy's Pick: Take Xavier -17

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