Xavier Musketeers vs Villanova Wildcats Prediction, 1/3/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Xavier Musketeers vs Villanova Wildcats

Date: Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Location: Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, PA

TV: ESPN+

The Xavier Musketeers (7-6) are en route to Finneran Pavilion on Wednesday where they will try to beat the Villanova Wildcats (9-4).

The Xavier Musketeers faced off with Seton Hall and walked away with a win by a score of 74-54 in their last contest. In regard to fouls, the Musketeers ended up with 14 while Seton Hall finished the game with 12 fouls. They knocked down 2 of their 15 attempts from distance. Seton Hall finished the game at 66.7% at the free throw line by converting 8 of their 12 attempts. In addition, Seton Hall collected 39 boards (19 offensive, 20 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Seton Hall distributed 12 dimes and had 6 steals for the matchup. Pertaining to defense, Xavier let their opponent shoot 32.4% from the floor on 22 out of 68 shooting. They also distributed 25 dimes for the contest as well as forcing the other team into 12 turnovers and earning 8 steals. In the matter of getting rebounds, they earned a total of 37 with 13 of them being offensive. From the free throw line, the Musketeers made 2 of 5 tries for a rate of 40.0%. Xavier ended the contest with a 44.3% field goal percentage (31 out of 70) and buried 10 of their 20 shots from beyond the perimeter.

Quincy Olivari is someone who was a major factor for this contest. He left the arena with 29 points on 11 of 20 shooting. He played for 33 minutes and totaled 7 boards. He ended up shooting 55.0% from the floor and recorded 1 assist.

Get all of our NCAA Basketball Betting Picks

Xavier enters this game with a win-loss mark of 7-6 for the year. They have an average of 75.3 pts per contest (180th in the nation) while hitting 44.6% from the field. The Musketeers are hitting 33.7% on shots from downtown (85 of 252) and 70.6% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Xavier is pulling in 40.2 boards per contest and has earned 230 dimes for the season, which is 25th in the nation in terms of passing. They turn it over 12.7 times per game and as a squad they commit 17.2 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

On the defensive end, the Musketeers are forcing their opponents into 12.2 turnovers per contest and they draw 19.1 fouls. They are surrendering 29.2% on 3-pointers and they rank 142nd in college basketball in points per game allowed (69.5). The Musketeers defense is giving up a FG percentage of 39.8% (332 of 835) and they concede 37.5 rebounds per contest as a unit. They are 309th in the country in giving up assists with 194 relinquished for the season.

For their last game, the Villanova Wildcats took home the win by a final score of 84-48 against DePaul. The Wildcats corralled 34 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive rebounds for a total of 41 in this game. They turned it over 15 times, while getting 5 steals in this game. DePaul committed 9 personal fouls in this matchup which took the Wildcats to the charity stripe for 13 attempts. They were able to bury 12 of the free throws for a percentage of 92.3%. With respect to shots from beyond the arc, Villanova made 12 of their 22 attempts (54.5%). In all, the Wildcats shot 30 for 56 from the floor which gave them a rate of 53.6%. The Wildcats permitted DePaul to make 17 of their 56 attempts from the field which gave them a rate of 30.4% in this game. They finished 16.7% from distance by shooting 4 out of 24 and finished the contest at 10 of 14 at the free throw line (71.4%). Regarding rebounding, Villanova allowed DePaul to grab 21 in total (3 on the offensive glass).

Hakim Hart was important for the Wildcats in the game. He converted 7 out of 10 for this game giving him a rate of 70.0%, and had 4 rebounds. He tallied 20 points in his 20 minutes on the hardwood and accumulated 2 dimes in this contest.

Villanova has a record of 9-4 on the campaign. The Wildcats commit 15.8 fouls every game and they connect on 81.9% from the charity stripe. They are getting an assist 11.9 times per game (302nd in D-1) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 10.2 times per contest. Villanova has totaled 957 points for the year (73.6 per game) and they collect 38.5 rebounds per game. When it comes to executing on offense, the Wildcats are hitting on 41.3% from the field, which ranks 317th in the country.

The Villanova defense surrenders 33.7% on shots from 3-point land (106 of 315) and opponents are making 67.6% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have given up 12.1 assists and 33.5 total boards per game, which ranks them 140th and 112th in D-1. The Wildcats on the defensive side of the court are 32nd in college basketball in points given up per game with 63.5. They have forced 12.4 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 40.2% from the field (68th in the nation).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Xavier

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here