Xavier vs UConn Odds, Lines and Picks (Jan. 25)

• Xavier and UConn meet in a battle of Big East heavyweights on Wednesday, January 25
• No. 19 UConn is a 7.5-point home favorite over No. 13 Xavier at Gampel Pavilion
• Read below for Xavier vs UConn odds and prediction

No. 19 UConn (16-5, 5-5 Big East) is a 7.5-point home favorite against Xavier in a Big East game at 6:30 pm ET Wednesday on FS1 at Gampel Pavilion. The Huskies have lost five of their last seven, beginning with an 83-73 loss at Xavier on New Year’s Eve.

No.  13 Xavier (16-4, 8-1 Big East) Musketeers had a 11-game winning streak broken in a one-point loss at DePaul last Wednesday but recovered with a victory over Georgetown the last time out Saturday.

Xavier vs UConn Odds

Odds from DraftKings on Jan. 24. Claim the DraftKings Sportsbook promo code to bet on Xavier vs UConn. 

UConn is a 7.5-point home favorite over Xavier in a series that has only been played five times since 2019. The two only became Big East rivals three years ago, when UConn rejoined the league after a seven-year absence, during which the Musketeers were added after leaving the Atlantic 10.

The teams are 2-2 SU and ATS in four Big East meetings, including the Musketeers’ 83-73 victory as a 3-point home underdog earlier this season. UConn is 1-1 SU and 0-2 ATS in its two home games in the series. Xavier is 11-8-1 ATS this season, 3-2 on the road. UConn is 13-7-1 ATS, 8-3-1 at home.

Xavier Recovers from Upset

The Musketeers might be the most balanced very good team Division I has seen in awhile. That does not mean they are invincible. They opened last week by shooting a season-low 38 percent in a 73-72 loss at bottom-feeder DePaul before recovering with a 95-82 victory over Georgetown to remain atop the Big East standings. All five Xavier starters are scoring in double figures, but a key is the athletic versatility of big men Zach Freemantle and Jack Nunge.

𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗟𝗘.@XavierMBB x #BIGEASThoops pic.twitter.com/DaASFF4btZ

— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) January 21, 2023

Senior 6’9 Freemantle is averaging 15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists  and he tied his career high with 30 points in  the victory over Georgetown. Guard Souley Boum (16.6, 4.2, 5.1), forward 6’11 Nunge (14.5, 8.1 rebounds) and guards 6’5 Colby Jones (14.3, 5.0, 5.2) and 6’3 Adam Kunkel (10.6 points,2.8 assists) all fall into the team-first category. The Musketeers lead Division I with an average of 21.3 assists per game and are sixth in field goal percentage (50.1) and fifth in three-point percentage (37.9).

Xaver, which averages 83.5 points per game, has scored 80 in six of its last seven Big East games. It is no slouch on the boards, with a plus-6.6 rebound margin. Freemantle has been a difficult matchup for the Huskies. He scored 29 points in Xavier’s victory earlier this season and had 30 points against them on Feb. 13, 2021.

UConn Hits a Slump

UConn took out two weeks of frustration in an 86-56 victory over Butler on Sunday,  the Huskies’ first victory in four four games and second win in the previous seven. UConn reached No. 2 in the AP poll after starting 14-0 but have not put two wins together since, beating only Creighton and Butler in its last seven Big East games. Recent defeats include an 82-76 loss at Marquette, an 85-74 upset at home to St. John’s, and 67-66 loss at Seton Hall in which the Huskies led for all but the final six seconds.

Beautiful sequence. 🎨#WeSeason | @andrejackson111 pic.twitter.com/vsNftmuhVk

— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) January 22, 2023

Big-body forward 6’9 Adama Sanogo leads UConn in scoring (17.2) and rebounding (7.1), but the offense struggled to find good looks during its skid. The Huskies, who have tried 541 3-pointers, have exceeded 42 percent shooting in only two of the last seven games. They compensate with a plus-8.0 rebound margin. Guard 6’5 Jordan Hawkins (15.5 points, 54 threes) and freshman forward 6’8 Alex Karaban (10.1 points, 39 threes) are the other double-figure scorers. Sanogo had a 17/14 double-double against Butler, which played without center Manny Bates. Hawkins had 20.

Xavier vs UConn Prediction

UConn has been a strong go-against since the first of its two victories over Butler on Dec. 17, going 4-5 SU and 2-7 ATS, all as a favorite. The Huskies are playing this one at their campus home, Gampel Pavilion, where they are 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS. Revenge is always a consideration in a return match, but the Huskies do not have enough firepower to offset the smooth-running Xavier machine. The abundant points seem like a gift here.

• Pick: Xavier +7.5 (-110)
• Season CBK: 25-13