College Basketball Betting Preview: A Look at Butler-Xavier

Butler Bulldogs at Xavier Musketeers, Cintas Center, Cincinnati, OH
Thursday, December 9, 2010, 9:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN
Opening Line: Butler -1
Current Line: Xavier -2
Opening Total: 137
Current Total: 136
Money Line: Xavier -130 / Butler +110

Shelvin Mack and Butler travel to Cincinnati to take on Xavier is college basketball action. Xavier is a 2 point favorite in the game.

Butler is 4-3 on the year with losses to Louisville, Evansville, and Duke on the year. They really miss Gordan Hayward who left early for the NBA after the Bulldogs made it all the way to the national championship game and narrowly lost to Duke. Butler travels to Xavier to take on the 5-2 Musketeers. They have losses to Old Dominion and Miami-(OH) on the season. Both of these teams average over 70 points a game, and give up around 68 points a game. In Butler’s 3 losses they have allowed their opponents to score over 70 points. In fact, Duke and Louisville both scored over 80 points. In the Bulldogs four wins, no opponent has scored over 63 points. Xavier is 44-28 ATS in all games in the last 3 seasons, including 32-19 ATS versus teams with winning records in the same span.

Butler is led by forward Matt Howard and guard Shelvin Mack. Howard is averaging 15.6 PPG, and 8.7 rebounds per game. Mack is averaging 15.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 3 assists per game. Butler has no player of 6’11” and struggles against teams with size. Butler is shooting 43.7% from the field and 37.4% from three point range. The Bulldogs shoot 68 % from the free throw line. Butler is averaging 37.9 rebounds a game and has a rebounding margin of +4.7. Butler averages 12.4 assists a game and 12.3 turnovers a game. They are outscoring their opponents 74-67 a game. If Butler can limit the turnovers and make teams take bad shots it increases their chances of winning dramatically. On the season Butler is allowing opponents to shoot 42.7% from the field and 30.4% from three point range.

Xavier has four players averaging double figures in scoring. Guard Tu Holloway is averaging 24 points a game, 4.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals a game. Guard Mark Lyons averages 14.1 PPG, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists a game. Forward Jamel McLean leads the team in rebounds with 10.2 a game, and is also scoring 11 points a game. Seven foot center Kenny Frease averages 10.4 PPG, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks a game. Xavier is out scoring opponents 72-70 on the season. Xavier is shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from three point range. The Musketeers are shooting 74 percent from the free throw line. Xavier averages 34.9 rebounds a game and has a rebounding margin of +0.3. Xavier averages 12.3 assists a game along with 12.6 turnovers a game. Xavier also averages 4.9 steals and 4.4 blocks a game. The Musketeers have won three games in a row at home.

This is an important game for both teams . Both of these teams made deep runs into the NCAA tournament last year, and this is the type of quality win over a non-conference opponent that will improve your seeding in March. Butler does not have a quality win on the season as they have beaten Marian, Ball St, a rebuilding Siena team, and Loyola-Illinois. Xavier has wins over Iowa and Seton Hall in a tournament in the Virgin Islands last month, so their resume looks a little better than Butler’s right now. Both of these teams are comfortable playing in the low 70’s so the over might be the best play in this game.