An eight-game home winning streak hangs in the balance for the DePaul Blue Demons (8-3) when they welcome the Xavier Musketeers (8-5) to Wintrust Arena. Action gets underway at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 29, 2018.
Xavier Musketeers at DePaul Blue Demons Betting Odds
Both teams were victorious in their last game. The Blue Demons easily got past the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 80-58, while the Musketeers defeated the IUPUI Jaguars 82-69.
Xavier dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 32.5 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.538. IUPUI recorded marks of 23.1 and 0.438, respectively, for those same stats. Meanwhile, DePaul played a flawless game. They had a free throw rate of 0.386 and an offensive rebounding percentage of 52.8. Bethune-Cookman had marks of 0.097 and 40.5, respectively, for those same stats. Max Strus played well for DePaul, finishing with 25 points and six rebounds. Meanwhile, Xavier was led by Ryan Welage, who recorded 24 points and seven rebounds.
The Musketeers dominated this series last year, taking both games. In the most recent game, Xavier won 65-62. One of Xavier’s largest strengths was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 17-19 (89.5 percent), while the Blue Demons were just 8-9 (88.9 percent). This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
Strus has really been playing well as of late for DePaul, averaging 0 points over the last five games.
The high-octane offense of DePaul (95th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 110.1) will go head-to-head against the mid-tier defense of Xavier (212th in the NCAA with a defensive efficiency of 102.5). The Blue Demons figure to have the edge on that side of the ball.
Xavier vs. DePaul ATS Pick
Free Pick: SU Winner – Depaul, ATS Winner – Xavier, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- DePaul ranks 49th in assists per game (15.7) while Xavier ranks 167th in assists allowed per game (14.5).
- The Blue Demons average 7.7 steals per game, which ranks 49th in the NCAA. The Musketeers rank 107th in steals allowed per game (6.8).
- DePaul is 29th in the NCAA with 2.5 blocks allowed per game while Xavier is 51st with 2.8 blocks allowed per game.
- The Blue Demons rank 27th in rebounds per game (40.5) while the Musketeers rank 120th (36.8).
- DePaul ranks 127th in three pointers attempted per game (22.9) while Xavier ranks 215th in three pointers allowed per game (26.2).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Musketeers have scored an average of 78.8 points per game (3.3 above their season average) and allowed an average of 79.6 points per game (9.1 above their season average).
- The Blue Demons’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.4, down from 9.6 for the season.
