Xavier vs Villanova prediction, pick, college basketball odds
02/09/2025 01:24 AM
It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Xavier-Villanova prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Xavier-Villanova.
The Villanova Wildcats are in big trouble. They have not been able to remain in control this college basketball season.
Villanova and coach Kyle Neptune briefly thrived in the first half of January. However, in late January, this team lost its belief and its poise. In retrospect, a 64-63 loss at home to Georgetown on January 20 was the tipping-point game of the season, the result the Wildcats were not able to recover from. The Wildcats subsequently lost their next two games versus Marquette and Creighton. They beat DePaul, but that’s not the kind of win which will meaningfully improve the resume of a team which is 13-10 through 23 games and well outside the cut line for the NCAA Tournament. Villanova did not do nearly enough in the month of November in the nonconference portion of its season schedule to merit an at-large berth. The Wildcats needed to be hugely successful in the Big East in order to overcome the limitations of their nonconference resume.
Here are the Xavier-Villanova College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Xavier-Villanova Odds
Xavier: +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +125
Villanova: -2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -150
Over: 141.5 (-110)
Under: 141.5 (-110)
How to Watch Xavier vs Villanova
Time: 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
TV: Fox
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Xavier Will Cover The Spread/Win
Villanova just isn’t up to this. We have to tell it straight: Head coach Kyle Neptune is on the hot seat in Philadelphia. He replaced the legendary Jay Wright, who was very supportive of Neptune’s ascent to the VU top job. If Jay Wright was on board with the move, it must have been okay. The school trusted Neptune and was willing to give him a special career opportunity. In February of 2025, we can all sit here and agree: It just hasn’t worked out. Villanova has allowed Kyle Neptune to coach this season in an attempt to fully prove himself. He hasn’t shown he is ready to make this program a winner. It’s hard to see what other choice the school has at this point.
Villanova will need to go on a five-game winning streak to have any slight chance of cracking the NCAA Tournament field. Barring a huge late-season surge, Kyle Neptune’s days at VU are likely numbered. This is not a team worth trusting. Xavier, which just beat Georgetown to move upward on the bubble, is clearly a better team playing better basketball at the moment.
Why Villanova Will Cover The Spread/Win
This is a total must-win game at home for Villanova. You can expect that the Wildcats will devote maximum effort and intensity to this game, and that they will feed off their home fans to produce a high-energy game, especially on defense, which will thwart Xavier’s offense. Villanova will stifle the Musketeers and establish control of the way this game is played. Villanova will punch Xavier in the mouth, get the early lead, and create a game in which the Wildcats land the first big blow and Xavier is constantly having to respond to those blows.
Final Xavier-Villanova Prediction & Pick
Xavier is the better team, but Villanova is at home and figures to play with noticeable desperation and urgency. It’s a tough game to bet on. We think you should stay away from this one.
Final Xavier-Villanova Prediction & Pick: Villanova -2.5
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