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Two of the top teams in the Big East will be jockeying for postseason seeding on Wednesday evening when the Providence Friars take on the Xavier Musketeers in Cincinnati. The meeting will be the first of two regular-season games between the two this season. Xavier is a home favorite by (-4), with a total currently set at 160 points. The game is scheduled for a 6:30 PM EST tip-off from the Cintas Center. With all that in mind, it’s time we take a closer look at both teams and how they arrive to this Providence vs Xavier matchup so you can bet on their NCAA Basketball Odds.

Game of the Day: #17 Providence at #16 Xavier College Basketball Betting Preview

Xavier Musketeers Overview

The Musketeers are one of the best teams in the nation but have stumbled a couple of times recently. Sean Miller’s club has lost two of their last four games, with one surprising result coming against the DePaul Blue Demons. In Xavier’s most recent outing, the Musketeers fell to a Creighton team that had high expectations heading into the season.

One of the many things that Xavier has done well this season is protect their home court. The Musketeers have not lost at the Cintas Center since November 18th against Indiana. While their straight-up record is impressive, they have been simply mediocre against the spread on their home court at just 6-5-1 ATS. They have also struggled recently against the number, covering just once in their last four games.

Xavier is one of the best offensive teams in the nation, ranking sixth in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency and seventh in offensive effective field goal percentage. The defensive side of the court has been their issue this season, where they rank just 95th in adjusted defensive efficiency. They have really struggled defending the three-point line as well, ranking 299th in defensive three-point percentage, allowing opponents to connect on over 36% of their attempts.

Providence Friars Overview

The Friars made it three consecutive victories over the weekend when they came from behind to defeat the Villanova Wildcats. Providence was able to go on the road and land a huge victory in Philadelphia despite trailing by seven points with roughly ten minutes to go in the second half.

Ed Cooley’s club has certainly exceeded expectations this season, and much of that is due to the fantastic development of Bryce Hopkins. The former Kentucky recruit is an undersized power forward but uses his fantastic athleticism to make up for lack of size. The 6’6 sophomore forward is averaging nearly a double-double for the Friars in conference play with 17.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest.

The Providence Friars have been a great road team this season, covering the spread in five of their seven road games. Providence is eviscerating the anticipated margin, beating the spread by an average of +6.0 points per contest. Their road margin of victory is second-best in the Big East Conference at +3.7 points per game.

The Pick

While Hopkins has performed like a Big East player of the year candidate, he is going to have his hands full on Wednesday. The Xavier frontcourt of Jack Nunge, Zach Freemantle and Colby Jones is one of the most well-rounded in the nation.

The game could very well come down to whether or not Providence gets a quality contribution from Noah Locke. When the graduate transfer guard scores in double figures, the Friars are 11-1 on the season. Unfortunately, Locke has only scored more than eight points once in the last four games. Xavier covers this number at home.