by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Feb 23, 2023
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
Where to watch: FS1
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Season record
No. 16 Xavier: 20-8 (12-5 Big East)
Seton Hall: 16-12 (9-8 Big East)
February is here and the college basketball season is taking full shape. Conference races still to be determined, the top 25 completely in shambles for what seems like every week, and there's bound to be an upset what seems like every single week. But as the season continues to progress with what seems like exciting action every week, you know our champion handicappers continue to put the work in each and every week to not only make money for them, but to ensure you get money in your pocket. All you need to do is look at the last 30 days. Scott Rickenbach has reeled in a net profit of $14,000 with a 24-9-0 run on the college hardwood. Team Del Genio has killed it with a 13-1-0 run at +$11,900. Will Rogers (28-15-0) and Matt Fargo (40-27-0) have also seen five figures over the last 30 days with college basketball. Surely, you want to get on this winning as well. All you need to do is go to bigal.com, check out our Best Bets page and make sure you are following along on the action. March will be here before you know it! Take advantage of our best plays and find out what our champion handicappers are doing at bigal.com!
Xavier - Seton Hall preview, prediction and analysis
Perhaps the lone threat left to challenge Marquette for the Big East title squandered a great opportunity at home on Tuesday, and now it appears the only chance for the Xavier Musketeers to rally is a miracle that seems unlikely. But Xavier will try to rebound on Friday against the Seton Hall Pirates in the Prudential Center.
Everything was right there for Xavier, facing an inferior Villanova team and keeping pace with the first-place Golden Eagles, who already beat Creighton earlier that night. But Xavier squandered a golden opportunity in the second half and lost 64-63 to Villanova at home.
Souley Boum had a team-high 17 points but shot 5 of 12 to get there (he did go 4 of 9 from 3-point range to offset that) and Jack Nunge had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, but no one had an answer for Villanova’s Justin Moore who led all scorers with 25 points.
“Our turnovers in the second half, it overwhelmed us,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “Villanova isn't a team that tries to turn you over. They were unforced. That was the difference in the game.”
Xavier blew a 13-point lead in the second half and as a result, have fallen another game back with the cluster of the Big East near the top, joining Creighton and Providence, with the latter losing by nearly 20 to UConn on Wednesday. Suddenly, the conference has become Marquette’s to lose and they can put a stranglehold on that within the next few games. If Xavier wants a chance, they need to win out and get some help along the way.
But while Xavier comes in losers of three of four, so do the Pirates after losing last Friday to UConn by the tune of 64-55. Seton Hall is normally a program that likes to cause chaos this time of year, but it’s been a pedestrian season for the Pirates who sit sixth in the Big East with three games remaining.
Amir Dawes and Tyrese Samuel each had 16 points for Seton Hall, who was held to 39.6 percent shooting from the floor while UConn found a way to win despite shooting 4 of 22 from 3-point range. Seton Hall wasn’t any better, being held to 2 of 11.
“I thought once we got our rhythm back in the second half, it kind of helped us, but I thought the first half, once Kadary went down, our rhythm, it just wasn't there,” Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway said regarding Kadary Richmond’s status, after he went down with a back injury.
It’s not like Seton Hall has anything to play for in this regard. It seems like a program that’s defeated, wants to just get to the conference tournament and see where the chips fall.
Prediction
This is a good chance for Xavier to get back on the road and put that bad taste out of their mouths, and they’re going to need it for this stretch. The championship is out of the question. Just get a top-4 seed and see what happens after. Xavier 75, Seton Hall 65
Betting trends
Check back later for trends.
Projected starting lineup
Xavier:
PG: Souley Boum
SG: Adam Kunkel
SF: Colby Jones
PF: Jerome Hunter
C: Jack Nunge
Seton Hall:
PG: Al-Amir Dawes
SG: Kadary Richmond
SF: Femi Odukale Jr.
PF: K.C. Ndefo
C: Tyrese Samuel
Statistical leaders
Xavier:
Points: Souley Boum -- 16.3
Rebounds: Zach Freemantle -- 8.1
Assists: Colby Jones -- 4.7
Seton Hall:
Points: Al-Amir Dawes -- 12.7
Rebounds: Tyrses Samuel -- 5.8
Assists: Kadary Richmond -- 4.1
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
