Xavier Musketeers vs Butler Bulldogs Prediction, 3/6/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Xavier Musketeers vs Butler Bulldogs

Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

TV: ESPN+

Hinkle Fieldhouse is the location where the Butler Bulldogs (17-13) will meet the Xavier Musketeers (15-14) on Wednesday.

The Xavier Musketeers faced off with Georgetown and walked away with a win by a score of 98-93 in their last game. When discussing fouls, the Musketeers ended up walking away with 19 while Georgetown totaled 27 fouls. They also knocked down 13 out of their 25 tries from beyond the arc. Georgetown ended up going 72.7% at the free throw line by making 16 of their 22 tries. On top of that, Georgetown snagged 28 rebounds (10 offensive, 18 defensive), but didn't have a block. Georgetown dished out 15 assists and had 4 steals for the game. In relation to defending, Xavier allowed 51.6% from the field on 32 out of 62 shooting. They also recorded 11 assists in this matchup in addition to forcing the other team into 12 turnovers and having 9 steals. When talking about getting rebounds, they collected a total of 29 with 11 of them being offensive. When they shot from the free throw line, the Musketeers knocked down 34 of their 46 shots for a percentage of 73.9%. Xavier ended the contest with a 54.5% field goal percentage (30 of 55) and made 4 of 14 3-pointers.

Desmond Claude is a guy who came through in the matchup. He finished the game shooting 65.0% from the field and earned 4 assists. He played 38 minutes played and totaled 4 rebounds. He accumulated 36 points on 13 out of 20 shooting.

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Xavier heads into this one with a mark of 15-14 for the season. They lose possession by turning the ball over 11.4 times per contest and as a unit are committing 17.1 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Xavier is pulling in 38.6 rebounds per contest and has totaled 481 assists for the year, which has them ranked 30th in the nation in terms of passing the rock. The Musketeers are shooting 34.4% on shots from downtown (201 of 585) and 73.4% from the free throw line. They average 76.6 pts per contest (94th in the nation) on 43.8% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Musketeers are forcing their opponents into 11.6 turnovers per contest while drawing 18.2 fouls. They rank 342nd in college basketball in giving up assists with 460 surrendered for the year. The Musketeers are allowing a field goal percentage of 42.7% (766 of 1,792) and they concede 36.1 rebounds per game as a team. They are giving up 33.5% on three-point shots and they are ranked 242nd in college basketball in PPG allowed (73.9).

In their last game, the Butler Bulldogs took home the win by a final score of 82-63 when they faced DePaul. When discussing cleaning up the glass, Butler allowed DePaul to snag 33 overall (9 offensive). They went 31.8% from downtown by shooting 7 of 22 and ended up going 8 of 14 from the free throw line (57.1%). The Bulldogs permitted DePaul to bury 24 of their 54 attempts from the field which left them with a shooting percentage of 44.4% in the matchup. When this game wrapped up, the Bulldogs went 33 for 66 from the field which gave them a rate of 50.0%. When it comes to 3-pointers, Butler made 12 of their 31 tries (38.7%). They were able to knock down 4 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 100.0%. DePaul earned 7 personal fouls in this game which took the Bulldogs to the charity stripe for 4 shots. They also turned it over 6 times, while getting 8 steals for the contest. The Bulldogs collected 19 defensive rebounds and 8 offensive boards totaling 27 for the game.

DJ Davis ended up having an impact for the Bulldogs for this game. He made 9 out of 13 in the matchup for a field goal rate of 69.2%, and accumulated 7 rebounds. He earned 24 points in his 31 minutes on the hardwood and earned 3 assists for the matchup.

Butler has a record of 17-13 this season. As an offensive team, the Bulldogs are shooting 45.4% from the field, which is 134th in the country. Butler has accounted for 2,328 pts on the year (77.6 per game) and they pull down 35.3 boards per game. They are dishing out assists 15.0 times per contest (71st in college basketball) and they are turning it over 10.7 times per contest. The Bulldogs have committed 13.8 fouls per contest and they go 78.9% from the free throw line.

The Butler defense surrenders 32.5% on 3-pointers (234 of 720) and their opponents are converting on 73.1% of their free throw shots. They surrender 13.3 dimes and 35.8 total rebounds per game, which is ranked 217th and 239th in Division 1. The Bulldogs are ranked 243rd in college hoops in points per game surrendered with 73.9. They are forcing 11.4 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 44.0% from the field (209th in college hoops).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Xavier

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