Villanova Wildcats vs Xavier Musketeers Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/12/2022

Game Time: 6:30 pm ET, Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Venue:  Cintas Center, Cincinnati, OH

Where to Watch:  Fox Sports 1

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Villanova -1, Xavier +1; Over/Under:  140.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Villanova -1, Xavier +1; Over/Under:  140.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Villanova -1.5, Xavier +1.5; Over/Under:  140.5 points

 

Villanova Wildcats:  11-4 (2nd place, Big East)

Xavier Musketeers:  12-2 (3rd place, Big East)

 

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Villanova Wildcats:  4-1 last 5

Xavier Musketeers:  4-1 last 5

 

 

 

Villanova is coming into this game with an 11-4 record overall and they are 4-3 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. This will be their 6th conference matchup of the year and they are currently 4-1 in their conference games this season. Their last loss was against the Creighton Bluejays but they have gone on a 4 game winning streak since then with wins coming against the Xavier Musketeers, the Seton Hall Pirates, the Creighton Bluejays, and the DePaul Blue Demons in their last game. Collin Gillespie led the team in points in that game with 28 while Justin Moore was next on the team with 21 points. Gillespie also led the team in assists in that game with 4 while Moore led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 52.1% from the field, 40.9% from 3-point range, and 90.9% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 73.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 61.6 PPG against them. Villanova has an ATS record of 9-6 this season and their O/U record is 7-8.

 

 

Xavier is coming into this game with a 12-2 record overall and they are 9-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. This will be the 4th conference matchup on their schedule this year and they are currently 2-1 in their conference games this season. Their last loss was against the Villanova Wildcats but they bounced back in their last game with a win against the Butler Bulldogs. Adam Kunkel led the team in points in that game off the bench with 25 while Paul Scruggs was next on the team with 16 points. Scruggs led the team in assists in that game with 6 while Scruggs and Colby Jones both led the team in rebounds with 7 each. They were 55.1% from the field, 45.5% from 3-point range, and 85.2% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 76.4 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 62.7 PPG against them. Xavier has an ATS record of 10-4 this season and their O/U record is 6-7-1.

 

Xavier is coming into this game as a 1 point underdog with the current betting odds according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Xavier has been great at home this season with a 9-0 record there and they have been playing well in their recent games. This is a revenge spot for Xavier as their last loss was against this Villanova team on the road and they have only played 1 game since then so that loss is still fresh in their minds. Villanova has been playing well this season but they have struggled in their road games and they will have a tough time with Xavier on the road here who is looking to get revenge for their loss back in December. The best bet to place in this game is on Xavier to cover the spread and win this game at home.

 

Villanova Xavier Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Wednesday, January 12, 2022 (6:30 pm ET start time) is Xavier 67 Villanova 61.

Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert basketball picks today.  And if you enjoyed this Villanova Wildcats Xavier Musketeers prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAB predictions and previews.

 

 

Villanova Wildcats: 26-12 ATS as a road favorite of 3 points or less or pick. 23-16 ATS against conference opponents. 10-4 ATS in January games. 11-3 ATS after a game where they made 88% of their free throws or better. 96-56 ATS after allowing 65 points or less 2 straight games. 303-229 ATS after 1 or more consecutive wins.

Xavier Musketeers: 6-11 ATS when the line is +3 to -3. 1-5 ATS as a home favorite of 3 points or less or pick. 13-22 ATS against conference opponents. 12-21 ATS after a conference game. 8-17 ATS after failing to cover 2 of their last 3 against the spread. 5-10 ATS off a win against a conference rival.

 

 

Villanova Wildcats:  None.

Xavier Musketeers:  None.

 

 

“I was just playing off our concepts and our habits, taking the open shots that I got. Trying to get other guys shots going down.” - Collin Gillespie on his performance scoring 28 points in their win against DePaul.

 

 

"I think we got a great group. And I think during that break we did a great job of staying focused and just knowing what our goals are this year and not letting that little break get us off track." - Adam Kunkel after their win against Butler.

 

 

 

E. Dixon 

C. Gillespie 

J. Moore 

J. Samuels 

B. Slater

 

J. Hunter 

N. Johnson 

C. Jones 

D. Miles 

P. Scruggs

 

 

PPG: C. Gillespie (16.9)

APG: C. Gillespie (3.4)

Reb/G: J. Samuels (6.5)

 

PPG: N. Johnson (12.7)

APG: P. Scruggs (4.3)

Reb/G: C. Jones (8.1)

 

Coaches:

Villanova Wildcats: Jay Wright (21st season)

Xavier Musketeers: Travis Steele (4th season)