The DePaul Blue Demons (8-3) welcome the Xavier Musketeers (8-5) to Wintrust Arena as they look to extend their eight-game home winning streak. The game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 29, 2018.
Xavier Musketeers at DePaul Blue Demons Betting Prediction
In the Musketeers’ last outing, they topped the IUPUI Jaguars, 82-69. The Musketeers had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (32.5 vs. 23.1) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.538 vs. 0.438). Xavier was lifted by Ryan Welage, who was the top scorer from either team with 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting.
The Blue Demons won big over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats in their last game, 80-58. The Blue Demons had a much better free throw rate (0.386 vs. 0.097) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (52.8 vs. 40.5). Max Strus was the top scorer from either team with 25 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the field.
After the Musketeers won both contests against the Blue Demons last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last matchup, Xavier won 65-62. The Musketeers knocked down 17 of their 19 free throws (89.5 percent) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (26.7 vs. 13.9).
Strus has averaged 0 points over the last five games for DePaul.
The high-octane offense of DePaul will go head-to-head against the mid-tier defense of Xavier. The Blue Demons currently rank 95th in offensive efficiency, while the Musketeers are 212th in defensive efficiency. The Blue Demons should have the edge on that end of the court.
Xavier at DePaul ATS Pick
Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Xavier, ATS Winner – Xavier, O/U – Under
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Betting Notes:
DePaul averages 15.7 assists per game, which ranks 49th in the nation. Xavier ranks 167th in assists allowed per game (14.5).
The Blue Demons rank 27th in rebounds per game (40.5) while the Musketeers rank 120th (36.8).
DePaul averages 22.9 three pointers per game, which ranks 127th in the NCAA. Xavier ranks 215th in three pointers allowed per game (26.2).
The Blue Demons average 7.7 steals per game, which ranks 49th in the country. The Musketeers rank 107th in steals allowed per game (6.8).
DePaul is 29th in the country with 2.5 blocks allowed per game while Xavier is 51st with 2.8 blocks allowed per game.
Bettings Trends:
The Musketeers have been outscored by an average of 0.8 points in their last five games. On the season, Xavier has defeated opponents by an average of 5.0 points.
During their last five games, the Blue Demons have scored an average of 79.2 points per game (0.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 71.8 points per game (2.7 above their season average).
+++++
