Cincinnati vs. Xavier Prediction, Game Preview
Cincinnati vs. Xavier prediction and game preview for when the Musketeers host the Bearcats in the Cintas Center.
The Xavier Musketeers are back home in Cincinnati, Ohio to welcome the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Cintas Center. Below is the Cincinnati vs. Xavier prediction and game preview.
Cincinnati vs. Xavier Game Preview
Game Broadcast
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12
Game Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Network: None
Why You Need To Care
Head coach Chris Mack has his team off to a 9-0 start this season, though, and the wins haven’t been cheap by any means. Xavier has reached 90 points in its last three games, including a 90-61 beating put down on Dayton two weeks ago.
The No. 23 Bearcats will certainly have a lot on their plate for what’s technically a road game, but we all know how this Cincinnati-Xavier rivalry goes. It gets pretty intense, and maybe that’s what Mick Cronin’s team needs right now.
Cincinnati is 8-1 and bounced back from a loss to Butler by taking care of Morgan State, 87-66. Taking on a rival team like the Musketeers can be a good indicator of just where the Bearcats are as a team right now.
Xavier has taken the last two meetings in the “Crosstown Shootout,” but let’s just wait and see what Cincinnati has up its sleeve.
Why Xavier Will Win
Trevon Bluiett is going to have to keep his foot on the pedal for this one. He’s averaging 15.9 points on 46.7 percent shooting, so he’ll need to attack on the offensive end. If he gets into a rhythm early, that may open up some of his other teammates for good looks at the basket. Bluiett leads the team with 47.2 percent shooting from three, but Myles Davis isn’t too far behind with 38.5 percent behind the arc. Davis will have to knock down some triples to help Bluiett out. Cincinnati has collected the 33rd-most rebounds in the nation, so it’ll take a team effort to keep the Bearcats off the glass.
Why Cincinnati Will Win
Octavius Ellis has to balance out Bluiett’s effort with a stellar performance of his own. The difference is that Ellis is obviously going to do his work from the interior. Ellis has been posting an average of 11.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, but he may need to come up with a double-double if Cincinnati wants to come out of this one with a win. With Ellis drawing the attention, that should leave Farad Cobb and Troy Caupain open from behind the arc. Defensively, the Bearcats have picked the eighth-most pockets in the nation with 87 steals. That could play a big role in deciding this one, too. Caupain and Gary Clark need to make plays defensively to help get a win.
Cincinnati vs. Xavier Prediction
Robert Judin: Xavier 72, Cincinnati 70
Jordan Cornette: Cincinnati 76, Xavier 75
Line: Xavier -6.5
