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— Friday, February 11th Connecticut Huskies @ Xavier Musketeers
Originally scheduled for late December, the Connecticut Huskies (16-6, 7-4) and Xavier Musketeers (16-7, 6-6) finally face off on Friday night. Both teams are ranked in the final two spots of the AP Poll and will meet twice in eight days. Friday’s tip off is set for the Cintas Center in Cincinnati at 7:00 p.m. ET, televised on FS1.
With Connecticut rejoining the Big East last season, these teams have played just one conference game in their history, an 80-72 Huskies road win last February. Xavier won a neutral site game in 2019, and UConn won a 1991 NCAA Tournament game in Minneapolis.
Huskies Control the Paint
UConn is 11-11 ATS, and the over is 15-7 in their 22 games. They are 6-4 away from home this season and 3-3 in true road games. The Huskies are 2-2 against ranked teams on the season with wins over Auburn and Marquette while losing to Villanova and Seton Hall.
The Huskies rank 33rd nationally at 78 ppg, and they shoot 35.3% from deep. The defense ranks 73rd in scoring at 65.1 ppg and 22nd overall, allowing 39% field goal shooting. Their perimeter defense struggles, allowing 35% from the 3-point range.
UConn put 80 points on the board in an eight-point win over Marquette on Tuesday as they snapped a two-game losing streak. Adama Sanogo led the way with 24 points and 15 rebounds, while Tyrese Martin had 18 points and 15 boards. The Huskies owned the boards on Tuesday with 46, going +19 and limiting Marquette to 40% shooting.
On the season, R.J. Cole leads the team in scoring at 16.0 ppg to go with a team-leading 4.5 apg. Sanogo averages 15.4 ppg and 8-4 rpg while shooting 53% from the field. Martin averages 13.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg and shoots 43% from the 3-point range.
Balanced Xavier Looking to End Losing Streak
Xavier is 12-11 ATS, and the under is 13-9-1 in their 23 games. They are 11-3 at home but have lost two of the last three games at the Cintas Center. They are 1-3 against ranked teams, with all three losses coming in conference play.
Xavier is middle of the pack offensively, averaging 73.1 ppg and shooting 44.7 from the field. They shoot just 33.3% from deep, ranking 209th nationally. Defensively they give up 65 ppg , allowing 41% shooting overall and 31% shooting from 3-point range.
Xavier was stunned at home by DePaul 69-65 last Saturday and lost at Seton Hall 73-71 on Wednesday. Four of their last five games have been decided by four points or less, with the Musketeers dropping three of those games.
Jack Nunge had 22 points against Seton Hall and leads Xavier with 12.7 ppg to go with 7.1 rpg. Paul Scruggs had 21 against Seton Hall and averages 12.4 ppg to go with a team-leading 4.4 apg. Colby Jones averages 10.5 ppg, leads the team with 7.6 rpg, and is one of eight players to lead XU in scoring this season.
Betting Analysis
- Connecticut Huskies +1 (-110)
- Xavier Musketeers -1 (-110)
- Total Points: 140.5 Over -110. Under -110
Both teams average over 70 points per game, and UConn has hit that number in seven of their last nine games. Xavier will have their hands full rebounding the ball but should be able to take advantage of UConn on the perimeter. Look for the pace to push into the 70s in a nip and tuck game.
Betting Pick: Over 140.5 (-110)
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