NCAA Basketball Xavier vs Seton Hall: Odds, Tips and Predictions 02/24/23

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Prediction: Bet Seton Hall to cover

• Over/Under: Xavier vs Seton Hall (140.5)
• Spread: Seton Hall +1.5
• Pick: Bet Seton Hall to cover

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Xavier vs Seton Hall Preview

No. 16 Xavier will attempt to get its season on track when it visits Seton Hall Friday night. The Musketeers lost three of their four previous games. Those losses were by a total of four points. Seton Hall has also lost three of its four last games, dropping to the No. 20 UConn lost by three.

Check out the top odds for Xavier vs Seton Hall

Can Xavier bounce back from a bad loss?

Xavier started the season well, going 15-3 through 18 games. Three of those losses were against top-15 teams. To establish themselves as contenders, the Musketeers were 7-0 in their first seven Big East matches. After going 11-2 through the first 13 league games, they fell out of contention after losing their last four games.

In the second half of the Villanova loss, they turned the ball over ten times. Xavier has been struggling with the absence of senior forward Zach Freemantle. He is currently recovering from a foot injury. He is expected to be back in the postseason. He averages 15.2 points per game and leads the team with 8.1 rebounds. Jerome Hunter scored 14 points against the Wildcats. Jack Nunge had his ninth double-double campaign, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 boards. Xavier relies on an offense that ranks 9th nationally in effective field goal percentage. It shoots a blistering 39.4% from the 3-point range which ranks fifth. Seton Hall’s defense is No. This is a fascinating matchup.

Can the Pirates get back on track? 

Seton Hall had a difficult start to the season, splitting its first 16 games. However, it won seven of its next eight matches. Seton Hall’s NCAA Tournament hopes have been weakened this month, after it lost three of its four previous games. After a win over Georgetown on Tuesday, the Pirates lost nine points to UConn on Saturday. They currently sit in sixth place in the Big East standings. They must win the Big East Tournament title to make it to the Big Dance.

After Richmond suffered a back injury during Saturday’s match against UConn, the Pirates hope to have Kadary available for Friday. Richmond, who scored a record 17 points for Seton Hall against Xavier in their first meeting, was only able to play seven minutes against the Huskies and is, therefore, questionable for this contest. He averages 10.2 points and has team highs of assists (4.1), steals (2.0) and shooting at 44.4% from 3-point range. Seton Hall cannot afford to lose its offensive weapon. It ranks No. 273 in effective field goals percentage and No. 31% in turnover rate. The Pirates face a mediocre defense from Xavier, ranked No. 190 in field goal percentage and No. 263 in turnover rate.

Head to Head

Xavier won the previous meeting by three points, but that was with a healthy Freemantle.

Our Betting Pick for Today – Seton Hall +1.5

Avoiding backing offensive-minded teams on tough road games is one of my most profitable strategies for college basketball. Teams such as Xavier are often unable to find a plan B when they are struggling to shoot the ball. This is not a good matchup for them. They are currently 1-4 in their last 5 road games and without their second-leading scorer/top rebounder. At home, they will face a Seton Hall team in desperate mode. In the first meeting between these two teams, the Pirates covered the spread and now have an 11-5 record in 16 head-to-head matches. They should win a decisive victory over a struggling Xavier team because of their defensive intensity.