The No. 5-ranked Xavier Musketeers (16-1) look to extend their 10-game home winning streak in a matchup against the Georgetown Hoyas (11-7). The game gets underway at 8:30 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 19 and will air on FS1.
The Musketeers were victorious over Marquette 74-66 on Saturday. With 16 points and 19 rebounds, James Farr recorded his third double-double this season. The Hoyas, meanwhile, are coming off a 55-50 loss at the hands of Villanova on Saturday. Isaac Copeland accumulated 11 points, six rebounds, and one steal.
Over the last five games, D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera has been on a tear for the Hoyas. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers.
The aggressive Xavier offense seems poised to dominate from the foul line. It ranks 13th in the nation with a FTA rate of 47.0, while Georgetown is among the nation’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 330th-ranked FTA rate of 45.7).
Xavier is a heavy 12-point favorite at home and the Over/Under (O/U) for this matchup is 143 points. The Musketeers enter the game with records of 16-1 Straight Up (SU) and 12-5 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 8-2 ATS. The Musketeers have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 80.1 points per game. Xavier has gotten to the free throw line often this season. They average 20 made free throws per game, which is 12th-best in Division I. The Musketeers have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 20th-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 41.8 per game, while the Hoyas rank 222nd in the nation with 35.8 per game. Expect Xavier to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Hoyas, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the nation with an average of 21.7 fouls per game.
On the other side, Georgetown has a SU record of 11-7 and an ATS record of 10-6. Georgetown is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, converting .752 of their shots from the line. Switching gears to the Georgetown defense, teams seem to consistently miss shots against the Hoyas, who are the 23rd-best team in the nation in terms of opponent field goal percentage allowed at .390. They average 4.9 blocks per game, good for 49th in the nation.
These conference rivals will be facing off in their first head-to-head clash of the season. When they last met the Musketeers were winners, moving their SU record against Georgetown to 4-1 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. The Musketeers also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 4-1. Georgetown held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five game, while Xavier wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Xavier, ATS Winner – Xavier, O/U – Over
Notes
Xavier is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Xavier is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Georgetown.
Xavier averages 80.1 points per game (ranked 50th). Georgetown, on the other hand, allows 68.3 points per game (ranked 111th).
Georgetown averages 74.3 points per away game (ranked 78th). Xavier allows 61.7 points per home game (ranked 50th).
The Xavier Musketeers have a defensive rating of 93.3 (ranked 24th), while the Georgetown Hoyas have an offensive rating of 107.2 (ranked 142nd).
The Georgetown Hoyas average a field goal percentage of 44.2% this season. The Xavier Musketeers have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 44.2% or greater.
The Xavier Musketeers and the Georgetown Hoyas both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Xavier is 109th and 104th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Georgetown is 174th and 102nd in these categories.
Xavier ranks 62nd in assists, registering 15.8 per game. Georgetown performs worse at 125th with 14.4 assists per game.
Ranked 20th in the nation, Xavier averages 41.8 rebounds per game. Georgetown ranks lower at 222nd with 35.8 RPG.
Georgetown ranks 286th in offensive rebounds, while Xavier ranks at 30th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Xavier forces a turnover rate of 20.3%. When Georgetown turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 7-3 record.
