The NCAAB action continues on Friday, February 10, with this conference duel, which is one of the most interesting games of the night, so make sure you don’t miss out on the best Musketeers vs. Bulldogs betting pick and odds.

Xavier is looking for the third win in a row when they visit Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Musketeers are 6-point favorites on Bovada Sportsbook, while the total is set at 149.5 points. These Big East foes will meet for the first time this season.

Musketeers didn’t have trouble with St. John’s at home

The No. 13 Xavier Musketeers (19-5, 13-10-1 ATS) bounced back from a heavy defeat at Creighton with a pair of victories over the Providence Friars and St. John’s Red Storm at home. The Musketeers won the opening half by 19 points and made a season-high 15 three-pointers in a 96-71 rout of the Red Storm. Xavier shot 54.2% from the field and kept the visitors below 40.0% from the floor, while the hosts made seven more triples, had 17 free throws opposite St. John’s eight, and were better in assists (26-16).

Senior forward Jack Nunge led the Musketeers with a game-high 21 points and game-high six assists. Colby Jones followed him with 19 points, game-high eight rebounds, and four dishes, Souley Boum scored 17, Desmond Claude chipped in 11 off the bench, while Jerome Hunter added ten points, six boards, four dimes, and game-high three steals.

F Zach Freemantle is out of action due to a left foot issue, and he is expected to miss at least one month of action.

Bulldogs snapped a losing streak with a win over St. John’s

The Butler Bulldogs (12-13, 11-12-2 ATS) were on a five-game losing skid, which is their worst sequence of the campaign, but managed to snap that negative run with a narrow 68-66 home win over the St. John’s Red Storm. The Bulldogs trailed by seven at halftime but allowed just 25 points after the interval and somehow snatched a victory as no team scored in the final 1:31 of the tilt. Butler shot just 41.1% from the field but did hit eight triples opposite St. John’s four and ten more shots from the stripe.

Sophomore guard Jayden Taylor led the Bulldogs with a game-high 19 points. Manny Bates added 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, and game-high three blocks, Simas Lukosius had 11 points, six boards, and team-high five dishes, while Jalen Thomas contributed ten points off the bench.

G Chuck Harris has missed the previous two games due to concussion-like symptoms, and it is unclear if he will suit up against Xavier on Friday.

Trends:

Xavier:

  • 4-1 ATS in the last five games when playing on the road against Butler
  • 15-2 SU in the last 17 games
  • 11-2 SU in the last 13 games against the Big East opponents

Butler:

  • 3-6 ATS in the last nine games

Xavier Musketeers vs. Butler Bulldogs Pick

Despite playing without their second-best scorer and top rebounder Zach Freemantle, the Musketeers’ offense continues to shine. Xavier has the 7th best offense in college basketball that averages 83.8 points per game opposite Butler’s 66.5 ppg. The Bulldogs do have a stronger defense as they average 67.7 ppg, but given they allowed 70+ in eight of their previous ten games, I am backing the visitors to outscore Butler here. Xavier is averaging 21.0 assists per contest, which is the second-best record in the country, so I expect to see a lot of ball movement and easy buckets for the Musketeers.

Pick: Take the Musketeers at -4.5 (-130)

The Total

The Bulldogs failed to score more than 68 points in each of their last six games, and even though they are facing a defense that allows 76.0 ppg, I doubt they will score more than 65. I expect the Musketeers to score around 80, but I don’t think we will have a high-scoring encounter. The total has gone Under in six of Butler’s last eight games at home, while the total went Under in 12 of Butler’s previous 15 games against the Big East rivals.

Pick: Go Under 150.5 points (-125)