The No. 11 Cincinnati Bearcats (4-0) look to remain unbeaten when they clash against the No. 21 Xavier Musketeers (6-1) at Cintas Center. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 146.5 points with Xavier opening as a 2-point favorite. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 2, 2017.
Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Xavier Musketeers ATS Preview
The last time the Bearcats played, they won big over the Alabama State Hornets, 83-51. Gary Clark was the games leading scorer with 14 points on 3-for-6 shooting. Cincinnati dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a fantastic free throw rate of 0.322 (above their season average of 0.282) and a turnover percentage of 9.0 (better than their season average of 13.6). Alabama State recorded marks of 0.035 and 25.7, respectively, for those same stats.
The Musketeers hope to maintain momentum after defeating the No. 16 Baylor Bears in their last contest, 76-63. J.P. Macura played well for Xavier, contributing 19 points and six rebounds. Xavier played a nearly perfect game. They had a free throw rate of 0.321 (matching their season average) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 41.2 (above their season average of 27.9). Baylor recorded marks of 0.179 and 25.0, respectively, for those same stats.
This battle pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses. Dating back to the 2016-17 season, Xavier ranks 38th in offensive efficiency and Cincinnati ranks seventh in defensive efficiency. Ball protection should be an advantage for the Bearcats. They rank 8th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 15.4 percent), while the Musketeers have forced the 59th-fewest turnovers in the NCAA (opponents turnover percentage of 17.3 percent).
The Bearcats have had records of 33-5 straight up (SU) and 20-17-1 against the spread (ATS) since last season. Cincinnati games have finished under the O/U total 54.1 percent of the time since last season.
Meanwhile, the Musketeers, have records of 27-14 SU and 24-20 ATS since last season. Vegas has been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Xavier games over that same stretch with 21 unders compared to 20 overs.
The Bearcats won the sole game against the Musketeers last season, 86-78. The Bearcats dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a superb turnover percentage of 9.5 and a phenomenal offensive rebounding percentage of 48.7. The Musketeers were 15.4 and 36.1, respectively, for those same stats.
Cincinnati Bearcats at Xavier Musketeers ATS Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Cincinnati, ATS Winner – Cincinnati, O/U – Under
Betting Notes (2016-Present):
- The Bearcats rank 125th in three pointers allowed per game (20.5) while the Musketeers rank 225th (22.5).
- Xavier is 16th in the nation with 31.1 rebounds allowed per game while Cincinnati is 33rd with 32.1 rebounds allowed per game.
- Cincinnati ranks first in steals allowed per game (3.8) while Xavier ranks 182nd (6.5).
- The Bearcats rank 22nd in blocks per game (5.1) while the Musketeers rank 200th (2.8).
- Cincinnati ranks 29th in assists per game (16.2) while Xavier ranks 182nd in assists allowed per game (13.4).
