The No. 3 seed Xavier Musketeers and the No. 2 seed Texas Longhorns match up in the Sweet 16 round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament on Friday night. The winner of this contest will play either the No. 1 seed Houston Cougars or the No. 5 seed Miami Hurricanes. Texas last played in the Elite Eight in 2008, where the Longhorns lost to Memphis 85-66. Meanwhile, Xavier made the Elite Eight in 2017. The Musketeers fell to Gonzaga 83-59.
Tipoff from T-Mobile Center in Kansas City is set for 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS. The Longhorns are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Xavier vs. Texas odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 147.5. Before locking in any Texas vs. Xavier picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the Sweet 16 round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament 83-54 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,500 for $100 players. It also went 4-1 on top-rated picks during the first week of March Madness. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Texas vs. Xavier and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NCAA Tournament 2023. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Xavier vs. Texas:
- Xavier vs. Texas spread: Longhorns -4.5
- Xavier vs. Texas over/under: 147.5 points
- Xavier vs. Texas money line: Longhorns -205, Musketeers +175
- TEX: The Longhorns are 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven games overall
- XAV: The Musketeers are 25-8-2 ATS in their last 35 NCAA Tournament games
- Xavier vs. Texas picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Xavier can cover
Junior Colby Jones is a skilled combo guard who impacts the game in many different ways. Jones owns a secure mid-range jumper while being a high-IQ facilitator. The Alabama native averages 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. In the second-round victory over Pittsburgh, Jones had 10 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists.
Senior guard Adam Kunkel uses his smooth jump shot to be an asset on the outside. Kunkel constantly moves without the ball and excels as a spot-up option. The Kentucky native averages 10.6 points and 3.1 assists while shooting 41% from beyond the arc. In Sunday's victory over Pittsburgh, Kunkel dropped 15 points, four rebounds and shot 5-of-8 from 3-point land.
Why Texas can cover
Senior forward Dylan Disu is nimble and energetic in the frontcourt. Disu has good strength to overpower defenders in the lane for boards and efficient looks at the rim. The Texas native averages 9.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and shoots 61% from the field. He has scored at least 15 points in four straight games. In the second-round win over Penn State, Disu had 28 points and 10 boards.
Senior guard Marcus Carr continues to be an impact player in multiple areas. Carr has great court vision and ball handles to break down the defense. The Ontario native is also very active as a defender and constantly jumps into passing lanes. Carr leads the team in scoring (15.8), assists (4), and steals (1.7). On March 10 against Pittsburgh, he dropped 10 points, three assists and five steals.
How to make Xavier vs. Texas picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 151 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Texas vs. Xavier? And which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.