The final game on Thursday night in the Sweet 16 features the Arizona Wildcats against the Xavier Musketeers. The Arizona Wildcats are the #2 seed in the West Region, and will have home court advantage in San Jose over Xavier. The Musketeers are the 11th seed, and come in with a 23-13 record.
The Arizona Wildcats won the Big 12 regular season title, and won the conference tournament. The Wildcats garnered a 2 seed in the tournament, behind Gonzaga. The Wildcats are coming into this game fresh off a win over Saint Mary’s. The Arizona Wildcats are -7.5 over the Xavier Musketeers in college basketball lines on Thursday.
Arizona vs Xavier Sweet 16 Betting Pick, Prediction & TV Info
When: Thursday, March 23, 2017, 10:09pm ET
Where: SAP Center, San Jose, CA
TV: TBS
Radio: Arizona / XavierLive Stream: March Madness Live
NCAAB Odds: Arizona -7.5
Why Bet on Arizona?
There is no doubt that Arizona is going to have a large crowd in San Jose, especially comparably from the folks in Cincinnati Ohio. The Arizona Wildcats have won six straight games, including tournament wins over North Dakota and Saint Mary’s. In those two wins, the Wildcats scored 84.5 points per game.
The top scorer for Arizona this season has been Lauri Markkanen. The forward is scoring just shy of 16 points per game. The Wildcats are typically known for their high ability to score, but the defense this season has been great. The Wildcats are allowing just 65.8 points per game. Arizona is seeking their 5th trip to the NCAA Final Four.
Why Bet on Xavier?
The Xavier Musketeers are looking for their third straight upset win. Xavier is scoring 83.5 points per game in those two tournament wins. During the regular season, Xavier scored just 75.1 points per game. Defensively, the Musketeers are allowing 71 points per game. Xavier’s top scorer Trevon Bluiett, is scoring 18.5 points per game.
Xavier started hot this season, but losing six straight games had their tournament chances in doubt. They bounced back with three straight wins, and fell to Creighton in the Big East tournament. This is the 27th NCAA Tournament trip for the Musketeers. They are also seeking their 27th tournament win.
Betting Pick & Score Prediction
The Xavier Musketeers are going to keep this game competitive. Head coach Chris Mack has done a great job getting his team ready to play basketball. The Musketeers are winning games, despite their injuries is amazing. Look for the Musketeers to continue playing good basketball in this game on Thursday night.
The problem is – Arizona is much more talented than Xavier. The Musketeers are the same team that nearly lost all their games down the stretch. Arizona is going to use their force inside, and their ability to defend to beat the Musketeers. The final bet for this game is the Xavier Musketeers +7.5 over the Arizona Wildcats.
