Looking to win big? The Musketeers and Huskies face off at 12:00 ET on FS1. The Huskies are hosting the game at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. The over/under for this Big East conference contest is set at 149 points, with Connecticut being favored by -15.5 at home against Xavier.

XAVIER MUSKETEERS VS CONNECTICUT HUSKIES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Xavier Musketeers +15.5

This game will be played at Madison Square Garden at 12:00 ET on Thursday, March 14th.

WHY BET THE XAVIER MUSKETEERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-69 in favor of the Huskies.
  • Even though we have Connecticut winning straight-up, we like Xavier at +15.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 149 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Will the Musketeers Exceed Expectations on the Road?

Xavier has struggled on the road this season, going just 4-9 away from home. Their average scoring margin on the road is -4.8 points per game. They have gone 2-12 as the underdog this season, and they are currently on a two-game losing streak.

The Musketeers’ last game was an 86-80 loss to Marquette. Over their last 10 road games, Xavier has gone 4-6, and they are 2-3 in their last five.

As the underdog this season, Xavier has gone 6-7-1 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Musketeers have a record of 3-6-1 vs. the spread. On the road, Xavier’s ATS mark is 6-7 this year and their ATS record over their last 10 road games is 5-5. However, over their last 5 road games, the Musketeers are just 1-4 vs. the spread.

This season, the over/under record for Xavier is 16-15. So far, the average scoring total in their games is 150.6 points. Today’s over/under line of 149 is lower than the season average OU line of 150.3. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 150 points.

In their latest game, Xavier’s offense looked good, scoring 80 points against Marquette. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 48.1% and made 21/27 free throws. Offensively, the Musketeers hold a season-long field goal percentage of 43%, placing them 266th in the national rankings. When it comes to three-pointers, they are ranked 154th in terms of percentage and 239th in three-pointers made.

Coming into today’s game, the Xavier defense is giving up an average of 74.2 points per contest. In today’s game vs. Connecticut, the Xavier defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Xavier made 21 free-throws vs. the Musketeers.

Do the Huskies Stand a Chance at Home?

Connecticut is coming off a 74-60 win over Providence and has won four straight games. The Huskies are a perfect 18-0 at home this season, and they are favored by 15.5 points against Xavier.

On the year, Connecticut has gone 28-3, including an 18-2 record in Big East games. The Huskies have been favored in 30 of their 31 games, going 28-2 in those matchups.

As the favorite this season, UConn has gone 19-10-1 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Huskies have an impressive 8-2 ATS mark. At home, UConn has gone 11-7 ATS this season and they are 3-0 ATS in their last 3 home games.

On the year, the over/under record in Connecticut games is 16-15. The average scoring total in their games this year is 145.1 points, which is similar to the average over/under line of 144.9 points. So far, 19 of their games have finished with more points than today’s over/under line of 149. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total is 141 points.

The Connecticut offense is coming off a game where they scored 74 points against Providence. They posted a field goal percentage of 42.6% and connected on 11 threes. Currently leading the team in scoring is Tristen Newton who comes into today’s matchup averaging 15. Cam Spencer also heads into the game with a PPG average of 14.7.

This season, the Connecticut defense has been impressive, holding the 15th position in the country while permitting an average of 64.0 points per contest. The Connecticut defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 60 points and allowed Providence to connect on 8 threes.