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Pete Fiutak

St. John’s vs Xavier Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview

St. John’s vs Xavier prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Saturday, February 4


St. John’s vs Xavier How To Watch

Date: Saturday, February 4
Game Time: 5:00 ET
Venue: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, OH
How To Watch: FOX
Record: St. John’s (14-9), Xavier (18-5)
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All-Time College Basketball Rankings
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St. John’s vs Xavier Game Preview

Why St. John’s Will Win

The Red Storm can hit the glass.

They might not be great at hitting from the outside, but they’re able to clean up a whole lot of messes when they’re not on. They can generate the second chance points on one end, and turn the boards on the other side to generate transition baskets to get things moving.

Xavier can’t guard the three at all and the overall D likes to give up a whole bunch of points – Creighton had itself a party in a 84-67 win – and St. John’s should be good for at least 75 points.

But …

Why Xavier Will Win

It’s going to take 80 just to get into the door against the Musketeers.

Granted, Xavier plays defense like it’s trying to give up points so the offense can have more fun, but it’s more than happy to get running and turn this into a firefight.

They were able to race with St. John’s the first time around in an 84-79 win on the road, and now …

What’s Going To Happen

This time it’s in Cincinnati. Forget it.

The Musketeers lost to Indiana back in mid-November, but that was it for the home gaffes. They take their offensive game up a few notches in its home building. St. John’s will keep up for a while, but its inability to consistently hit free throws will prove costly late.

St. John’s vs Xavier Prediction, Line

Xavier 85, St. John’s 75
Line: Xavier -9, o/u: 162.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Must See Ranking: 3
CFN Fearless Predictions

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