UConn vs Xavier

UConn’s eight-game winning streak, fueled by Solo Ball’s team-leading scoring and Alex Karaban’s near 50-40-90 efficiency, collides with a Xavier squad that’s only just snapped its own skid and remains inconsistent even at 7-2 in the Cintas Center after a 41-point home loss to Creighton. The Huskies’ +17.4 scoring margin and top-five national defense (61.1 points allowed) contrast sharply with Xavier’s far thinner +2.9 margin and a defense that has bled points when the threes aren’t falling, even though Tre Carroll and Filip Borovicanin have carried real shot-making and rebounding upside. With UConn fully healthy again after earlier knocks to Tarris Reed Jr., Ball, and Braylon Mullins, and having already been burned by Xavier here last season, the straight-up edge is clearly on the deeper, more balanced Huskies despite the tiny payout at -1000, which keeps this recommendation at a B- in terms of overall value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/12/2025 09:38([fanduel.com](https://www.fanduel.com/research/uconn-vs-xavier-college-basketball-predictions-odds-picks-best-bets-for-12-31-2025?utm_source=openai))

Xavier’s perimeter-heavy offense, averaging nearly 10 made threes per night with Carroll and Jovan Milicevic stretching the floor, has pushed recent Musketeers games toward higher totals, and they now face a UConn group that scores 78.5 per game and shares it well through Silas Demary Jr. while still holding opponents to 61.1. The Huskies’ elite defense and methodical stretches are the main drag on this number, but KenPom-style projections in the 79–67 range, plus Xavier’s recent habit of either catching fire from deep or giving up scoring runs the other way, lean this matchup slightly toward clearing 143.5 in a game where late fouls could pad the final tally. Given UConn’s ability to smother the arc and the chance this turns into more of a grind if the Huskies control tempo early, the Over gets only a C+ grade, reflecting a modest edge but plenty of variance. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/12/2025 09:38([fanduel.com](https://www.fanduel.com/research/uconn-vs-xavier-college-basketball-predictions-odds-picks-best-bets-for-12-31-2025?utm_source=openai))

Karaban, Ball and Reed give UConn three reliable two-way options who have been blowing out opponents by double digits on average, and that profile matches a -11.5 number against a Xavier team whose home résumé includes both a strong rivalry win over Cincinnati and that 98-57 collapse vs. Creighton. While the Musketeers’ recent one-game win streak and Carroll’s Big East Player of the Week-level surge are reasons to respect their ceiling, their defense has been too leaky against high-end offenses and UConn comes in rested, fully healthy, and historically motivated after dropping a tight one at Xavier last season. With the Huskies owning a dominant efficiency edge and projecting around a 12-point favorite by predictive metrics, laying the -11.5 earns a B grade as a reasonably strong position with better upside than the moneyline, even in a tricky road Big East spot. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/12/2025 09:38([fanduel.com](https://www.fanduel.com/research/uconn-vs-xavier-college-basketball-predictions-odds-picks-best-bets-for-12-31-2025?utm_source=openai))