No. 16 Xavier Musketeers Vs Seton Hall Pirates: NCAAB Prediction and Betting Analysis

Odds

2022-2023 season stats

Preview

On Friday, February 24th, the Seton Hall Pirates host the No. 16 Xavier Musketeers in what should be an intriguing matchup between two Big East Conference foes. The game tips off at 7 p.m. EST at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and will be broadcast on ESPN.

The Seton Hall Pirates come into this game with a 16-12 record, including a 9-8 mark in Big East play. The Pirates are 10-4 on their home court and have been solid on both ends of the floor this season, averaging 68.3 points per game while outscoring opponents by 3.9 points per game.

Meanwhile, the No. 16 Xavier Musketeers have had an impressive season, going 20-8 overall and 12-5 in conference play. However, the Musketeers have struggled on the road, losing their last three games away from home. Xavier will look to turn that trend around when they visit Seton Hall on Friday.

The odds-makers have set the line for this game at Seton Hall -1.5, with the over/under set at 141 points. Let's take a closer look at both teams and see if we can find an edge in the betting markets.

Xavier Musketeers

The Musketeers have had a strong season, but their road struggles have been a concern. In their last three road games, Xavier has lost to Providence, Creighton, and Villanova. However, they have been solid at home, winning six of their last seven games.

Offensively, Xavier is a well-rounded team that moves the ball well and shares the scoring load. They average 77.7 points per game and lead the Big East with 20.3 assists per game. Souley Boum is the team's leading scorer, averaging 16.3 points per game, while Colby Jones is the team's top distributor, averaging 4.7 assists per game.

Defensively, the Musketeers have been solid this season, allowing 74.2 points per game. They also average 6.5 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. Xavier will need a strong defensive effort if they want to break their road losing streak against Seton Hall.

Seton Hall Pirates

Seton Hall has been a solid team this season, especially at home, where they have gone 10-4. The Pirates have been a balanced team, averaging 68.3 points per game while outscoring opponents by 3.9 points per game.

Al-Amir Dawes is the team's leading scorer, averaging 12.7 points per game, while Tyrese Samuel is averaging 10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds over the last 10 games for Seton Hall. Defensively, the Pirates have been solid, allowing just 65.7 points per game over their last 10 games.

Betting Trends

Xavier is 5-5 against the spread in their last 10 games, while Seton Hall is also 5-5 against the spread in their last 10 games. The total has gone under in four of Xavier's last five games and in nine of Seton Hall's last 12 games.

Public Betting Data

According to the latest public betting data, 57% of bets are on Seton Hall to cover the -1.5 spread, while 43% are on Xavier to cover. The public is also split on the over/under, with 50% of bets on the over and 50% on the under.

Prediction

This is a tough game to call, as both teams have been solid this season. Xavier will be motivated to break their road losing streak, but Seton Hall has been tough to beat at home. The Pirates have also been playing well recently, going 6-4 in their last 10 games.

In terms of betting, we see this game as a close one, with a slight edge to Seton Hall due to their home court advantage. The Pirates have been solid at home this season, and we expect them to come out with a strong effort against a talented Xavier team.

We expect the Pirates to win a close, hard-fought game on their home court. As for the over/under, we are leaning towards the under, as both teams have been solid defensively and we don't expect a high-scoring game.

Pick for this game is Seton Hall -1.5.