You can get plenty of debate about the merits of the Big East Conference as a truly big time league. There is absolutely no debate about the betting lines NCAA Basketball merits of Villanova and Xavier. The top ranked Villanova Wildcats are synonymous with Final Four championship success. Head coach Jay Wright has grown into a legend for the Wildcats. The fifth ranked Xavier Musketeers have been in and out of the top ten for the past three seasons. They have missed the Big Dance just twice since 2001. In the ultimate Big East showdown Xavier hosts Villanova on Saturday.
Villanova Wildcats vs. Xavier Musketeers
Date and Time: Saturday, February 17, 2018, 4:30 p.m. Eastern
Location: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
NCAA Betting Online Odds at SBG: (Click here to See the Lines)
Wildcats vs. Musketeers TV Coverage: FOX
The Villanova Wildcats are coming off a stunning 76-71 loss at Providence. They now have a Betting Lines NCAA Basketball record of 23-3 straight up and 17-9 against the spread. In their last five games they have covered the line three times. Over the total has hit in six out of Nova’s last seven games. Jay Wright’s orchestrates the nation’s third best offense. Junior guard Jalen Brunson triggers the Villanova offense with 19.8 points and 4.7 assists per game.
The red hot Xavier Musketeers are 24-3 straight up and 19-8 against the spread. They have paid out in six out of their last seven games. Xavier is riding a nine game straight up winning streak. Over the total has hit in three out of their last four games. Head coach Chris Mack has engineered the tenth best offense in the country. Senior guard Trevon Bluiett leads the team with 19.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Defense remains a concern for the Musketeers. They rank an alarming 241st in the nation for points allowed. Over the total has hit in 10 out of 16 home games for Xavier.
Villanova has dominated the cashier’s cage in this head to head sportsbook series. The Wildcats have nine payouts in their last ten games against Xavier. Under the total has hit in the last three games in this series. The Wildcats have taken home the cash in three out of their last four games at Xavier. Three out of the last four games in this series at Cintas Center have gone over the total. On January 10 the Wildcats scored an 89-65 home payout over the Musketeers.
Matchup to Watch
This is a betting lines NCAA Basketball matchup of two of the best offenses in the land. The winner will take over first place in the Big East. Villanova has more defense than Xavier. And that element of defense could prove to be the difference between strong offensive teams. The Musketeers may lack confidence after getting mauled by the Wildcats at Philadelphia last month.
Wildcats vs. Musketeers NCAA games Betting Odds Picks
The Villanova Wildcats are a special group. And coming off a loss will make them extra focused. Wright has emerged as arguably the best coach in the country. This sets up well for Nova. They’ll come out alive and with the cash yet again. Villanova is the pick.
NCAA Betting Online Pick: Villanova Wildcats
NCAA Betting Online Score Prediction: Wildcats 79, Musketeers 71
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