Big East Titans Clash
The 3rd-ranked Villanova Wildcats and the 4th-ranked Xavier Musketeers square off on Saturday at Cintas Center. Tip-off is set for 4:30 pm EST and FOX will broadcast the matchup nationally. It’s been a historic season for Xavier. The Musketeers try to nail down their first Big East Conference title. That could lead to a possible No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Villanova could be standing firmly in the way. Oddsmakers opened the Wildcats as -1-point favorites versus the Musketeers, while the game’s total opened at 165.5. The line has held steady, but the total is down to 164. Xavier holds a 1 1/2-game lead over the defending national champions. Nova’ has dominated the current version of the Big East since it formed 2013. The Musketeers have had little luck against head coach Jay Wright’s Wildcats. They have lost nine of 10 meetings, including three during the 2014-15 season. Villanova easily dispatched Xavier in the first meeting this season. It was an 89-65 butt-kicking at the Wells Fargo Center back on Jan. 10. Wildcats guard Phil Booth scored a game-high 21 points. He will not play Saturday because of a bone fracture.Xavier is the Real Deal
Xavier was a 102-90 winner in its last match at home against the Seton Hall Pirates. They covered the -6.5-point spread as favorites. Xavier has already put the NCAA selection committee on notice. They have an impressive body of work. A victory Saturday over one of the nation’s best teams would be another milestone in an already historic season.Villanova Struggling as it Travels to Xavier
Villanova was a 76-71 loser in its last match on the road against the Providence Friars. They failed to cover the -9.5-point spread as favorites. Villanova has dropped two of its last three games. That includes the stunning loss at Providence. Nova’ had a season-high 19 turnovers, with 13 of them coming in the second half. Bouncing back from a loss has been a hallmark for the Wildcats, who haven’t lost consecutive games since the 2012-13 season. A victory Saturday is crucial for both teams. Xavier would have a 2 1/2-game lead with three to play. They would have a favorable schedule with games at Georgetown, Providence, and at DePaul. If the Wildcats were to knock off the Musketeers things could get dicey. If they run the table against DePaul, Creighton, Seton Hall and Georgetown, they could finish tied with Xavier and earn the title based on a season sweep.Recent Form
| Name | Record | ATS | Offense | Defense | Diff | ATS Home | ATS Away | OU Record | OU Home | OU Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villanova | 23-3 | 16-9-1 | 87.15 | 70.58 | 16.57 | 7-4 | 5-4 | 17-9 | 9-2 | 4-5 |
| Xavier | 24-3 | 19-8 | 85.33 | 74.63 | 10.7 | 11-5 | 7-2 | 15-12 | 10-6 | 4-5 |
Power Stats
| Assists Turnovers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Assists | Turnovers | Ratio | |
| VILLA | 16.46 | 10.42 | 1.58 | |
| XAVIR | 16.89 | 12.48 | 1.35 | |
| Rebounding | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Offense | Defense | Total | |
| VILLA | 9.62 | 25.77 | 35.39 | |
| XAVIR | 9.56 | 28.89 | 38.45 | |
| ShootingPercentage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Offense | Defense | Differential | |
| VILLA | 50.60 | 43.44 | 7.16 | |
| XAVIR | 49.94 | 42.36 | 7.58 | |
Team Records
Villanova Wildcats
| Name | Record | Home | Away | ATS | ATS Home | ATS Away | Offense | Defense | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 23-3 | 14-1 | 9-2 | 16-9-1 | 10-5 | 6-4-1 | 87.15 | 70.58 | 16.57 |
| Last 10 | 8-2 | 4-1 | 4-1 | 6-4 | 4-1 | 2-3 | 84.30 | 72.30 | 12.00 |
| vs Conf | 10-3 | 6-1 | 4-2 | 7-6 | 5-2 | 2-4 | 88.23 | 77.15 | 11.08 |
Xavier Musketeers
| Name | Record | Home | Away | ATS | ATS Home | ATS Away | Offense | Defense | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 24-3 | 17-0 | 7-3 | 19-8 | 12-5 | 7-3 | 85.33 | 74.63 | 10.70 |
| Last 10 | 9-1 | 5-0 | 4-1 | 7-3 | 3-2 | 4-1 | 84.80 | 78.80 | 6.00 |
| vs Conf | 12-2 | 7-0 | 5-2 | 9-5 | 4-3 | 5-2 | 83.86 | 79.07 | 4.79 |
Supergrid
| Title | Stat | Rank | Stat | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away Team Overall Scoring vs Home Team Overall Defense | 87.15 | 3 | 74.63 | 190 |
| Away Team Away Scoring vs Home Team Home Defense | 85.36 | 2 | 71.94 | 188 |
| Away Team Road Rebounds vs Home Team Home Rebounds Allowed | 35.00 | 109 | 32.53 | 91 |
| Home Team Overall Scoring vs Away Team Overall Defense | 85.33 | 9 | 70.58 | 108 |
| Home Team Home Scoring vs Away Team Road Defense | 89.24 | 8 | 70.27 | 53 |
| Home Team Home Rebounds vs Away Team Road Rebounds Allowed | 40.12 | 30 | 33.73 | 69 |
Head To Head Summary
| Team | record | ATS | O/U | AVG | AVG ½ | FG% | REB | 3PT | steals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villanova | 9-1 | 9-1 | 5-5 | 81.20 | 37.50 | 50.35 | 32.50 | 111/271 | 6.50 |
| Xavier | 1-9 | 1-9 | 5-5 | 65.10 | 29.50 | 40.31 | 34.00 | 58/208 | 4.20 |
Head To Head Detail
| Date | Away | away score | Home | home score | line | ATS | Total | O/U | FG% Edge | Reb Edge | 3PT Edge | Away Half Score | Home Half Score | Away FG% | Home FG% | Away Rebounds | Home Rebounds | Away Three Pointers | Home Three Pointers | Away Steals | Home Steals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 10, 2018 | XAVIR | 65 | VILLA | 89 | -9.5 | VILLA | 165 | U | VILLA | XAVIR | VILLA | 28 | 40 | 41.4 | 55.2 | 34 | 31 | 3/17 | 12/31 | 5 | 10 |
| Feb 11, 2017 | VILLA | 73 | XAVIR | 57 | 5.5 | VILLA | 144 | U | VILLA | XAVIR | VILLA | 35 | 23 | 51.9 | 35 | 26 | 42 | 9/24 | 6/21 | 8 | 3 |
| Jan 10, 2017 | XAVIR | 54 | VILLA | 79 | -8 | VILLA | 145 | U | VILLA | XAVIR | VILLA | 28 | 34 | 29.3 | 53.8 | 34 | 33 | 6/32 | 8/24 | 2 | 7 |
| Feb 24, 2016 | VILLA | 83 | XAVIR | 90 | 1 | XAVIR | 145.5 | O | XAVIR | XAVIR | VILLA | 37 | 40 | 44.8 | 50 | 33 | 42 | 12/31 | 7/18 | 5 | 6 |
| Dec 31, 2015 | XAVIR | 64 | VILLA | 95 | -6.5 | VILLA | 143 | O | VILLA | XAVIR | VILLA | 30 | 48 | 39.2 | 63.2 | 31 | 26 | 6/19 | 13/25 | 3 | 9 |
| Mar 14, 2015 | XAVIR | 52 | VILLA | 69 | -7.5 | VILLA | 140 | U | VILLA | VILLA | VILLA | 21 | 34 | 37.9 | 50 | 29 | 35 | 2/15 | 9/23 | 5 | 6 |
| Feb 28, 2015 | VILLA | 78 | XAVIR | 66 | 2 | VILLA | 142 | O | XAVIR | VILLA | VILLA | 33 | 40 | 44.3 | 46.2 | 33 | 31 | 13/29 | 8/22 | 6 | 6 |
| Jan 14, 2015 | XAVIR | 75 | VILLA | 88 | -10 | VILLA | 143 | O | XAVIR | VILLA | VILLA | 27 | 45 | 47.6 | 45.9 | 33 | 34 | 7/22 | 15/34 | 3 | 3 |
| Mar 6, 2014 | VILLA | 77 | XAVIR | 70 | 3.5 | VILLA | 137.5 | O | VILLA | VILLA | VILLA | 41 | 36 | 46.9 | 38.3 | 38 | 30 | 9/22 | 6/24 | 5 | 5 |
| Feb 3, 2014 | XAVIR | 58 | VILLA | 81 | -9 | VILLA | 147.5 | U | VILLA | VILLA | VILLA | 22 | 28 | 37.7 | 49.2 | 34 | 36 | 7/18 | 11/28 | 4 | 6 |
College Basketball Betting Trends
| Villanova Wildcats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Villanova is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games | ||
| Villanova is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 6 of Villanova’s last 7 games | ||
| Villanova is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road | ||
| Villanova is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games on the road | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Villanova’s last 5 games on the road | ||
| Villanova is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Xavier | ||
| Villanova is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Xavier | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Villanova’s last 6 games when playing Xavier | ||
Xavier Musketeers |
||
|---|---|---|
| Xavier is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games | ||
| Xavier is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games | ||
| Xavier is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games at home | ||
| Xavier is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of Xavier’s last 6 games at home | ||
| Xavier is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Villanova | ||
| Xavier is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing Villanova | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Xavier’s last 6 games when playing Villanova | ||
Team Last 5 Games
Villanova Wildcats
| Date | Opponent | score | Result | line | Total | ATS Result | field goal percentage | free throw percentage | three pointers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 14, 2018 | PROV | 71-76 | L | -9.5 | 152.5 | L/U | 50.00 | 72.73 | 3 | A |
| Feb 10, 2018 | BUTLR | 86-75 | W | -9.5 | 157.5 | W/O | 50.85 | 86.96 | 6 | H |
| Feb 7, 2018 | STJON | 75-79 | L | -16 | 151 | L/O | 41.79 | 91.67 | 8 | H |
| Feb 4, 2018 | SETON | 92-76 | W | -12.5 | 156 | W/O | 50.79 | 64.00 | 12 | H |
| Feb 1, 2018 | CREIG | 98-78 | W | -13.5 | 162 | W/O | 54.41 | 83.33 | 19 | H |
Xavier Musketeers
| Date | Opponent | score | Result | line | Total | ATS Result | field goal percentage | free throw percentage | three pointers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 14, 2018 | SETON | 102-90 | W | -6.5 | 159 | W/O | 53.57 | 80.00 | 14 | H |
| Feb 10, 2018 | CREIG | 72-71 | W | 2.5 | 162 | W/U | 46.27 | 77.78 | 3 | A |
| Feb 6, 2018 | BUTLR | 98-93 | W | 4.5 | 154.5 | W/O | 59.26 | 85.71 | 10 | A |
| Feb 3, 2018 | GTOWN | 96-91 | W | -14 | 155.5 | L/O | 43.55 | 75.61 | 11 | H |
| Jan 30, 2018 | STJON | 73-68 | W | -4 | 149 | W/U | 46.15 | 77.27 | 8 | A |