The No. 13 Xavier Musketeers (7-1) look to continue a six-game home winning streak when they square off with the Kent State Golden Flashes (5-3) at Cintas Center. Xavier is a 23-point favorite on the opening line, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 155 points. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 6, 2017.
Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Xavier Musketeers Odds Preview
The Golden Flashes beat the Cleveland State Vikings in their last outing, 72-62. With 16 points and seven rebounds, Kent State’s Adonis De La Rosa put together a good performance. Kent State dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a turnover percentage of 10.7 (better than their season average of 14.5) and a free throw rate of 0.191 (matching their season average). Cleveland State recorded marks of 20.5 and 0.107, respectively, for those same stats.
The last time the Musketeers played, they defeated the No. 11 Cincinnati Bearcats, 89-76. With 28 points on 7-for-14 shooting, Trevon Bluiett was the top scorer from either team. Xavier played a nearly perfect game. They had a ridiculous free throw rate of 0.439 (above their season average of 0.365) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 41.9 (above their season average of 30.2). For those same stats, Cincinnati was 0.145 and 22.5, respectively.
The offensive glass should be a huge advantage for Xavier in this battle. Since the 2016-17 season, the Musketeers rank 48th in offensive rebounding percentage (34.1 percent), while Kent State ranks 227th in defensive rebounding percentage (70.2 percent).
In terms of the O/U total, these teams are complete opposites. Games featuring Kent State have gone under 75.0 percent of the time, while Xavier games have gone over 71.4 percent of the time. The Musketeers hold a sizable advantage in both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 7-1 SU and 7-1 ATS, while the Golden Flashes are 5-3 SU and 2-2 ATS.
Kent State Golden Flashes at Xavier Musketeers Odds Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Xavier, ATS Winner – Kent State, O/U – Under
Betting Notes (2016-Present):
- The Musketeers rank 59th in assists per game (15.3) while the Golden Flashes rank 160th in assists allowed per game (13.3).
- Kent State ranks 137th in steals per game (6.4) while Xavier ranks 187th in steals allowed per game (6.5).
- Kent State ranks 22nd in blocks allowed per game (2.5) while Xavier ranks 192nd (3.8).
- The Musketeers rank 16th in rebounds allowed per game (31.0) while the Golden Flashes rank 129th (34.5).
- Kent State averages 22.6 three pointers per game, which ranks 119th in the NCAA. Xavier ranks 226th in three pointers allowed per game (22.6).
