Xavier Musketeers vs Butler Bulldogs Picks and Predictions February 18th 2025

Xavier Musketeers vs Butler Bulldogs February 18th 2025

Betting on today’s Bulldogs and Musketeers game? Catch the action at Cintas Center in Cincinnati, OH, as the Musketeers hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on PEAC. The over/under for this game is set at 153.5 points, and Xavier is favored by -7.5 vs. Butler in a Big East conference matchup.

Bulldogs vs. Musketeers Key Information

• Sport: CBB
• Teams: Butler Bulldogs at Xavier Musketeers
• Where: Cincinnati at Cintas Center
• Date: Tuesday, February 18th
• Betting Odds XAV -7.5, BUTL +250 | XAV -310 O/U 153.5

The Bulldogs Can Win If…

Butler Bulldogs Recent Game/Games

Butler improved to 12-13 on the season with a 97-86 home win over Georgetown on Saturday, February 15th. The Bulldogs, who were favored by 3.5 points, covered the spread in this one.

Butler led 46-35 at halftime and scored 51 points in the 2nd half, but also allowed 51 points. The total points for the game reached 183, going well over the pre-game line of 140.5.

Butler’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 97 points with a field goal percentage of 56.6% and an effective field goal percentage of 64.2%. They shot 65.6% from two-point range and 42.9% from beyond the arc, while also hitting 80% of their free throws, going 28-for-35 from the line.

Pierre Brooks II led the way with 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting, while Micah Peavy added 21 points and 10 assists. Malik Mack contributed 18 points, and Finley Bizjack and Jayden Epps each chipped in 15 points.

Butler’s defense struggled in their last game, allowing 86 points on 56% shooting from the field. The Bulldogs gave up 21 two-point baskets on 32 attempts, a 65% success rate for their opponent.

From beyond the arc, Butler’s defense allowed 9 threes on 21 attempts, with their opponent shooting 42%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 35 times, where they converted 28 free throws, an 80% rate.

• In their last ten games away from home, the Bulldogs have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 7-3 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 71 points per game in these contests.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Bulldogs have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-10.
• Over their last five games, the Bulldogs have an over/under record of 4-1 and are 3-2 vs. the spread.

The Musketeers Can Win If…

Xavier Musketeers Recent Game/Games

Xavier improved to 16-10 on the season with an 85-68 home win over DePaul on Saturday, February 15th. The Musketeers entered the game as -12.5 favorites and covered the spread.

After leading 45-31 at halftime, Xavier scored 40 points in the 2nd half while allowing 37. The total points for the game reached 153, surpassing the over/under line of 144.

Xavier’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 85 points with a field goal percentage of 58.8%. They were particularly effective inside the arc, hitting 72.2% of their two-point attempts, while their effective field goal percentage stood at 62.7%. From the free-throw line, they converted 87.5% of their attempts, going 21-for-24.

Despite struggling from three-point range, making just 4 of 15 attempts (26.7%), the Musketeers dished out 19 assists. Dailyn Swain was perfect from the field, going 6-for-6 and adding 8 assists, while Zach Freemantle led the team with 19 points and 9 rebounds. CJ Gunn contributed 16 points, despite missing all 4 of his three-point attempts.

Even though Xavier gave up 68 points, they struggled defensively, allowing their opponent to shoot 58% from the field, including 72% on two-point attempts with 26 makes out of 36 tries. They did manage to limit damage from beyond the arc, where the opposing team shot just 4/15 for 26%.

At the free-throw line, Xavier’s opponent was efficient, hitting 21 of 24 attempts for 87%. The Musketeers did a good job on the boards, giving up only 3 offensive rebounds in the game.

• In their last five games at home, the Musketeers have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 73 points per game in this stretch.
• In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Musketeers have a strong straight up record of 5-0. In addition, their ATS record was 4-1 in these scenarios.
• In their last three games, the Musketeers have an over/under record of 3-0 and are 2-1 vs. the spread.

The Lean

For a point-spread bet in this Musketeers vs. Musketeers matchup, we’re leaning towards the Musketeers at -7.5. Although our projections show the Musketeers winning 76-70, we suggest placing your bet on the Bulldogs for the point-spread.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 153.5 and given that our model is projecting 146 points between the teams, we like the under.

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Xavier, Butler Meet in High-Stakes Big East Battle

Two Big East teams on an upward trajectory meet on Tuesday when Butler takes a three-game winning streak into Cincinnati to face host Xavier. Both squads are finding their form in February, setting up an intriguing conference battle.

Butler Gaining Momentum

After a rough 0-6 start in league play, Butler (12-13, 5-9 Big East) has turned a corner. The Bulldogs have won three straight, most recently handling Georgetown 97-86 on Saturday. Pierre Brooks II had a career night, dropping 30 points in his 113th college game.

Coach Thad Matta sees clear improvements in how Butler is closing games. Georgetown cut the lead to six in the second half, but the Bulldogs pulled away with strong execution down the stretch.

Jahmyl Telfort leads the Bulldogs with 15.9 points and 3.5 assists per game, while Brooks is close behind at 15.5 points and 5.0 rebounds. Patrick McCaffery adds another scoring punch at 11.8 points per game.

Xavier’s Tournament Push

While Butler has built a nice turnaround story, Xavier (16-10, 8-7) has a realistic shot at securing an NCAA Tournament bid. The Musketeers have won three of their past four games and four of their last six, including an 85-68 win over DePaul on Saturday.

In that victory, big man Zach Freemantle paced Xavier with 19 points and nine rebounds, while all five starters scored in double figures. Dailyn Swain had an all-around performance with 17 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Ryan Conwell and Dayvion McKnight each chipped in 14 points, and Marcus Foster added 11.

Xavier shot an impressive 58.8 percent from the field and an even higher 72.2 percent (26-of-36) inside the arc.

Freemantle has been particularly dominant, averaging 17.0 points and 7.2 rebounds for the season. Over his last five games, he’s been even better, averaging 18.6 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 53 percent from the floor.

The Matchup

This is the first of two regular-season meetings between these teams, with the rematch set for March 5 in Indianapolis. Butler will look to continue its strong February push, while Xavier aims to bolster its tournament resume with another quality win.

With both teams playing some of their best basketball of the season, expect a competitive and high-energy battle in Cincinnati.