by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Jan 06, 2022
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Where to watch: TBD
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Xavier -5.5
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: NL
Season record
No. 22 Xavier: 11-2 (1-1 Big East)
Butler: 8-5 (1-1 Big East)
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Xavier - Butler preview and analysis
Recent form
Xavier: lost 71-58 at Villanova on Dec. 21
Butler: lost 71-56 vs. Seton Hall on Tuesday
COVID postponements are the worst for obvious reasons (no games, health and safety of players, etc.), but let's turn to the on-the-court aspect for a second.
When you have a team that's been off for a couple of weeks and their last instance is a loss, it can sting for a bit, especially when it's your first loss in a while. The Xavier Musketeers are in that boat as they get ready for their first game since Dec. 21 against the Butler Bulldogs on Friday.
Xavier had one game canceled and one postponed due to COVID but that lack of activity did not push Xavier out of the top-25. The 22nd-ranked Musketeers were on a seven-game winning streak before losing to Villanova four days before Christmas.
The Musketeers had a 38-30 lead at halftime before getting shut down in the second half to the tune of 41-20. Dwon Odom had a team-high 13 points in 22 minutes off the bench while the Xavier starting five combined to shoot 9 of 32 from the floor and just 4 of 17 from deep.
It was an uncharacteristic night for an offense that scores 75.5 points per game while holding teams to just 62. What that screams is the second half was an outlier and there was plenty of downtime to correct what actually went wrong in that game. Villanova is always going to be a strong team under Jay Wright, but the Wildcats were struggling heavily going into that game. There's really no excuse why Xavier should've lost.
But them rebounding against Butler seems like a realistic idea. The Bulldogs are coming off a 15-point loss to No. 24 Seton Hall on Tuesday. Bryce Golden scored a game-high 19 points and was really the only efficient scorer on the club. The rest of the Bulldogs shot 14 of 37.
COVID postponements are the worst for obvious reasons (no games, health and safety of players, etc.), but let's turn to the on-the-court aspect for a second.
When you have a team that's been off for a couple of weeks and their last instance is a loss, it can sting for a bit, especially when it's your first loss in a while. The Xavier Musketeers are in that boat as they get ready for their first game since Dec. 21 against the Butler Bulldogs on Friday.
Xavier had one game canceled and one postponed due to COVID but that lack of activity did not push Xavier out of the top-25. The 22nd-ranked Musketeers were on a seven-game winning streak before losing to Villanova four days before Christmas.
The Musketeers had a 38-30 lead at halftime before getting shut down in the second half to the tune of 41-20. Dwon Odom had a team-high 13 points in 22 minutes off the bench while the Xavier starting five combined to shoot 9 of 32 from the floor and just 4 of 17 from deep.
It was an uncharacteristic night for an offense that scores 75.5 points per game while holding teams to just 62. What that screams is the second half was an outlier and there was plenty of downtime to correct what actually went wrong in that game. Villanova is always going to be a strong team under Jay Wright, but the Wildcats were struggling heavily going into that game. There's really no excuse why Xavier should've lost.
But them rebounding against Butler seems like a realistic idea. The Bulldogs are coming off a 15-point loss to No. 24 Seton Hall on Tuesday. Bryce Golden scored a game-high 19 points and was really the only efficient scorer on the club. The rest of the Bulldogs shot 14 of 37.
Prediction
I think Xavier has been choming at the bit to get back after that loss before its pause. Butler is always going to be a tough program to face, but Xavier's depth will dictate this game. Xavier by 14
Betting trends
Xavier is 2-6 ATS in its last eight road games.
Xavier is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 overall.
Butler is 2-6 ATS in its last eight against teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better.
Projected starting lineup
Xavier:
PG: Nate Johnson
SG: Paul Scruggs
SF: Colby Jones
PF: Jerome Hunter
C: Zach Freemantle
SF: Colby Jones
PF: Jerome Hunter
C: Zach Freemantle
Butler:
PG: Aaron Thompson
SG: Jair Bolden
SF: Jayden Taylor
PF: Ty Groce
C: Bryce Golden
SF: Jayden Taylor
PF: Ty Groce
C: Bryce Golden
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
