The Providence Friars are hosting the Xavier Musketeers tonight in college basketball action. The game is scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on FOX Sports 1. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Friars listed as a small favorite to pick up the win.

Both Providence and Xavier are ranked inside the Top 10, this is a huge game in the Big East. Both teams are 5-2 in league play and tied with Creighton and Georgetown, who play their own big game tonight, for second place behind Villanova. Two of those four teams will win tonight and remain tied in second place, the other two will fall 2.5 games behind the Wildcats.

The Friars are ranked 10th in the country, Xavier comes in ranked seventh. The Top 10 battle pits two of the three ranked Big East teams together in a big game at this point in the season.

Kris Dunn and the Friars had dropped two of three games to Marquette and Seton Hall, but rebounded strongly to beat both Butler and Villanova the past two games. Picking up a third win in a row here would be great for their resume, which already includes four wins over Top 50 RPI teams, although two of those victories came over Butler. Dunn and Ben Bentil offer a strong 1-2 combination that Xavier will have to stop tonight. Between the two of them they average around 37 points and 14 rebounds per game, they also have an impact on the defensive side of the floor as well.

Xavier is a balanced team with four guys averaging double digits per contest. Trevon Bluiett leads them at 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, this test against Providence will be big for the Musketeers. Xavier is a very strong team on the road, winning four of their five true road games with the one loss being in blowout fashion at Villanova. 

Providence is 10-2 in home games, this should be an excellent game. The Friars get the edge at home, but Xavier is the better team.

Free Pick: Xavier

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