Xavier Musketeers vs Providence Friars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/23/2022

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Venue:  Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, RI

Where to Watch:  CBS Sports

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Xavier +2, Providence -2; Over/Under:  139 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Xavier +2.5, Providence -2.5; Over/Under:  139.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Xavier +2.5, Providence -2.5; Over/Under:  139.5 points

 

Xavier Musketeers:  17-9 (6th place, Big East)

Providence Friars:  22-3 (1st place, Big East)

 

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Xavier Musketeers:  1-4 last 5

Providence Friars:  4-1 last 5

 

 

 

Xavier is coming into this game with a 17-9 record overall and they are 4-4 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. This will be their 16th conference matchup of the year and they are currently 7-8 in their conference games this season. They have lost 4 of their last 5 games and are coming into this one on a 2 game losing streak. Their last win was against the UConn Huskies while their 4 losses in that span came against the DePaul Blue Demons, the Seton Hall Pirates, the St. John's Red Storm, and the UConn Huskies in their last game. Adam Kunkel led the team in points in that game off the bench with 15 while Zach Freemantle, Jack Nunge, and Colby Jones were all next on the team with 11 points each. Jones and Kunkel both led the team in assists in that game with 2 each while Freemantle led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 38.3% from the field, 29.4% from 3-point range, and 83.3% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 72.7 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 66.2 PPG against them. Xavier has an ATS record of 13-13 this season and their O/U record is 11-14-1.

 

 

Providence is coming into this game with a 22-3 record overall and they are 14-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. This will be the 15th conference matchup on their schedule this year and they are currently 12-2 in their conference games this season. They have won 9 of their last 10 games and are coming into this one off of a win in their last game. Their last loss was against the Villanova Wildcats while their last 5 wins came against the Marquette Golden Eagles, the St. John's Red Storm, the Georgetown Hoyas, the DePaul Blue Demons, and the Butler Bulldogs in their last game. Nate Watson led the team in points in that game with 22 while Jared Bynum was next on the team with 18 points. Bynum led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Noah Horchler led the team in rebounds with 11. They were 41.7% from the field, 36% from 3-point range, and 50% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 71.4 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 65.8 PPG against them. Providence has an ATS record of 14-11 this season and their O/U record is 13-12.

 

Xavier has not been playing well in their recent games as they have lost 4 of their last 5 and they are even coming into this one after losing 2 straight. They have really been spiraling in their recent games as their last 2 losses were both by double digits and now they are going up against a ranked Providence team and they have to play them on the road here where they are only 4-4 this season. Providence is a solid 14-1 at home this season and they are currently leading the Big East with a 12-2 record against conference opponents. They struggled in their last game falling behind very early on the road in Butler but they climbed back from almost a 20 point deficit in the 2nd half and they found a way to send that game to OT and win it there. That took a lot of resilience for this team to complete that comeback and now they should have a better time winning this game at home against an Xavier team that has been spiraling out of control. Providence is a much better team and they have played with a lot more consistency this season. They will bounce back after a bad performance, even though they ended up winning that game, and will play much better here at home winning this game by double digits.

 

Xavier Providence Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Wednesday, February 23, 2022 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Providence 77 Xavier 62.

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Xavier Musketeers: 32-45 ATS in all games. 16-31 ATS against conference opponents. 11-6 UNDER as a road underdog or pick.

Providence Friars: 10-3 ATS as a home favorite of 6 points or less or pick. 9-4 UNDER as a home favorite of 6 points or less or pick. 12-6 UNDER after 2 or more consecutive overs.

 

 

Xavier Musketeers:  N. Johnson (G) Ques Wed - Knee injury.

Providence Friars:  A. Durham (G) Ques Wed - Hernia.

 

 

"I always think with Providence, No. 1, we gotta control the glass. No. 2, we gotta have a great attack against their zone, which can slow a lot of teams down with their size and their length. And then, No. 3, we have to value the ball." - Travis Steele before this game against Providence.

 

 

“We were somewhat lackluster and it was a credit to what Butler did to us defensively.” - Ed Cooley after his team’s very close win against Butler.

 

 

 

J. Hunter 

N. Johnson 

C. Jones 

D. Miles 

P. Scruggs

 

A. Durham  

N. Horchler 

J. Minaya

A. Reeves 

N. Watson

 

 

PPG: J. Nunge (13.4)

APG: P. Scruggs (4.2)

Reb/G: C. Jones (7.5)

 

PPG: N. Watson (14.2)

APG: J. Bynum (4.2)

Reb/G: N. Horchler (8.5)

 

Coaches:

Xavier Musketeers: Travis Steele (4th season)

Providence Friars: Ed Cooley (11th season)