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The No. 3 seed Xavier Musketeers (25-9) and the No. 14 seed Kennesaw State Owls (26-8) will meet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 12:40 PM. The contest airs on truTV.
Xavier is a double-digit 12.5-point favorite against Kennesaw State when the Musketeers play the Owls on Friday. A 152.5-point total is set for the game.
Xavier vs. Kennesaw State Odds
Point Spread for Xavier vs. Kennesaw State
The spread for this matchup is set at 12.5 points, with bookmakers listing Xavier as the favorite.
Xavier vs. Kennesaw State Moneyline
As for the moneyline, Xavier has -712 odds to pick up the win, while Kennesaw State is listed at +505 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the over/under for the game is set at 152.5 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Friday, March 17, 2023
- Game Time: 12:40 PM ET
- TV Channel: truTV
- Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
- Arena: Greensboro Coliseum
Xavier vs. Kennesaw State Betting Trends
In Xavier’s 34 games this year, it has 18 wins against the spread. The Musketeers have won in 20, or 87%, of the 23 contests they have been named as odds-on favorites in this year. Xavier’s games this year have hit the over on 21 of 31 set point totals.
Kennesaw State is 21-10-0 against the spread this season. The Owls have won seven of the 13 games they were listed as the moneyline underdog this season (53.8%). Kennesaw State’s games this season have gone over the point total 17 times in 31 opportunities (54.8%).
Xavier vs. Kennesaw State Key Players to Watch
Xavier
Jack Nunge is tops on the Musketeers at 7.8 rebounds per game, while also putting up 2.1 assists and 14.1 points. Colby Jones is averaging 15.2 points, 4.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds per contest. Zach Freemantle is averaging 15.2 points, 2.9 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Kennesaw State
Chris Youngblood is the Owls’ top scorer (14.7 points per game) and assist man (1.9), and contributes 4.8 rebounds. Terrell Burden leads the Owls in assists (4.2 per game), and averages 13.5 points and 3.1 rebounds. He also delivers 1.7 steals and 0.4 blocked shots. Brandon Stroud paces the Owls in rebounding (6.5 per game), and posts 9.3 points and 1.6 assists. He also delivers 1.4 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Demond Robinson gives the Owls 11.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per contest. He also averages 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocked shots.
What you need to know about the Xavier Musketeers
The Musketeers are allowing 74.1 points per game this season (294th-ranked in college basketball), but they’ve really played well offensively, posting 81.4 points per contest (12th-best). With 34.8 rebounds per game, Xavier ranks 35th in college basketball. It cedes 28.9 rebounds per contest, which ranks 53rd in college basketball.
Xavier ranks second-best in the nation with a three-point shooting percentage of 39.5%. It ranks 153rd in college basketball by making 7.6 threes per contest. With 7.5 three-pointers conceded per game, the Musketeers rank 216th in the nation. They are allowing a 35.9% shooting percentage from beyond the arc, which ranks 306th in college basketball.
The Musketeers have gone 6-4 over their last 10 games, with a 5-5 record against the spread in that span. Xavier has gone over the total in four of its last 10 games. Xavier’s offense has been less effective over its last 10 games, scoring 75.6 points a contest compared to the 81.4 it has averaged this year. Xavier’s defense has been tough as of late, as the team has given up 69.4 points per game during its last 10 compared to the 74.1 points per game its opponents are averaging on the season.
What you need to know about the Kennesaw State Owls
In 2022-23, the Owls are 91st in the country offensively (75.3 points scored per game) and 141st defensively (68.9 points conceded). In 2022-23, Kennesaw State is 202nd in college basketball in rebounds (31.4 per game) and 137th in rebounds allowed (30.5).
In 2022-23, Kennesaw State is 74th in the country in 3-point makes (8.3 per game) and 48th in 3-point percentage (36.8%). In 2022-23, the Owls are 194th in college basketball in 3-pointers conceded (7.3 per game) and 150th in defensive 3-point percentage (33.4%).
The Owls are 5-5 against the spread and 8-2 overall in their last 10 contests. Four of Kennesaw State’s past 10 games have hit the over. Kennesaw State is posting 73.1 points per game over its last 10 games, which is 2.2 fewer points than its average for the season (75.3). The Owls are ceding 68.9 points per contest in their past 10 games, the same number of points they’re allowing per game for the season.
Xavier vs. Kennesaw State Prediction & Pick
Our pick to win this contest is Xavier, and we expect that Kennesaw State will cover the spread (Xavier -12.5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going under the posted total of 152.5 points.
How to bet Xavier vs. Kennesaw State
You can bet on Xavier vs. Kennesaw State at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.
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