The No. 17 Xavier Musketeers and Morehead State Eagles will battle at Cintas Center to open their seasons. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 150.5 points with Xavier opening as a 26-point favorite. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Friday, November 10, 2017.
Morehead State Eagles at Xavier Musketeers Free Preview
Xavier made it to the Elite Eight last season as an 11 seed in the tournament, where the Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated them. In the regular season, the Musketeers went 21-13. Morehead State, meanwhile, was unable make the tournament following a 14-16 regular season campaign.
The physical Xavier offense seems poised to dominate from the charity stripe. The Musketeers ranked 60th in the nation with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.283, while Morehead State ranked 310th in FTA rate allowed (0.290) in the 2016-17 season. Furthermore, the Eagles ranked 20th in offensive rebounding percentage (36.0 percent), while the Musketeers ranked 40th in defensive rebounding percentage (74.5 percent).
The Eagles were 14-16 straight up (SU) last season, but had difficulty covering the spread (9-16 against the spread (ATS)). Of Morehead State’s 25 games with betting action last season, 14 finished under the projected point total.
The Musketeers, on the other hand, owned records of 21-13 SU and 18-19 ATS last season. Just over half of Xavier’s games also finished under the projected point total.
Morehead State Eagles vs. Xavier Musketeers Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Xavier, ATS Winner – Morehead State, O/U – Under
Betting Notes (2016-Present):
- The Musketeers are 18th in the NCAA with 31.2 rebounds allowed per game while the Eagles are 50th with 32.7 rebounds allowed per game.
- Morehead State ranks 159th in blocks per game (3.2) while Xavier ranks 183rd in blocks allowed per game (3.8).
- Morehead State averages 16.1 assists per game, which ranks 29th in the nation. Xavier ranks 213th in assists allowed per game (14.0).
- The Eagles rank 43rd in steals allowed per game (5.2) while the Musketeers rank 167th (6.4).
- Xavier ranks 190th in three pointers attempted per game (20.4) while Morehead State ranks 245th (18.9).
