The Seton Hall Pirates (13-5) head to Xavier to take on the No. 5-ranked Musketeers (16-2) in what should be a low-scoring game. Action begins at 2:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 23 and can be seen on FSN.
The Musketeers are hoping to rebound after their 81-72 loss to Georgetown on Tuesday. Despite the loss, Trevon Bluiett earned his fourth double-double this season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Pirates, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their close 72-71 loss against Villanova on Wednesday. Desi Rodriguez played well for Seton Hall, recording 14 points, four rebounds, and three steals.
Bluiett has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Musketeers. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 2.4 three-pointers.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Xavier ranks 29th in the nation, allowing just 94.9 points per 100 possessions, while Seton Hall is 33rd (95.2).
Xavier is a nine-point favorite against Seton Hall and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 149 points. The Musketeers have gone 16-2 Straight Up (SU) and 12-6 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Musketeers are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .740 from the free throw line. Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for Xavier in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 13.2 offensive boards per game.
Over on the other bench, the Pirates have records of 11-6 ATS and 13-5 SU. Seton Hall performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Pirates allow just 65.5 points per road game, ranking them 17th in the nation.
These conference foes will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their most recent meeting a season ago, Seton Hall came out on top, bumping its SU record over their most recent meetings to 3-2. With a 3-2 record, the Pirates also have the advantage ATS. Seton Hall held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Xavier never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Xavier, ATS Winner – Xavier, O/U – Over
Notes
Xavier is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games.
Xavier is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games at home.
The Xavier Musketeers have a solid 4-2 SU record against the Big East Conference, while the Seton Hall Pirates have split their meetings with conference opponents, 3-3.
Seton Hall scores an average of just 73.8 points per game (ranked 179th). Xavier ranks 74th in points allowed, giving up 66.8 points per game.
Seton Hall averages 73.7 points per away game (ranked 89th). Xavier allows 63.5 points per home game (ranked 73rd).
The Xavier Musketeers have a defensive rating of 94.9 (ranked 29th), while the Seton Hall Pirates have an offensive rating of 106.0 (ranked 171st).
Seton Hall has an average field goal percentage of 44.5%. Xavier is an even 2-2 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Xavier Musketeers rank lower for their field goal percentage (143rd) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (128th), but the Seton Hall Pirates have a better FG% ranking (149th) than eFG% ranking (218th).
Xavier ranks 57th in assists, registering 15.8 per game. Seton Hall performs worse at 198th with 13.1 assists per game.
Seton Hall, the 86th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.3 per game. Xavier does worse, ranked 193rd with 3.3.
Xavier ranks 41st in offensive rebounding. Seton Hall ranks 132nd in defensive rebounding.
On average, Xavier makes 7.2 steals per game. Seton Hall has a winning 7-3 record when it gives up at least 7 steals.
