Who's Playing

UConn Huskies @ Xavier Musketeers

Current Records: UConn 14-5, Xavier 12-8

How To Watch

  • When: Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET
  • Where: Cintas Center -- Cincinnati, Ohio
  • TV: FOX
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Ticket Cost: $44.00

What to Know

After two games on the road, Xavier is heading back home. They and the UConn Huskies will face off in a Big East battle at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Cintas Center. The Musketeers are expected to win (but not by much) so they better bring their A-game into this one.

Xavier fought the good fight in their overtime contest against St. John's on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell 79-71 to the Red Storm. The Musketeers were up 50-34 in the second but couldn't hold on to the lead.

Despite their defeat, Xavier saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Dailyn Swain, who went 6 for 8 en route to 16 points plus five assists and five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. That's the most assists Swain has posted since back in November of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Zach Freemantle, who posted 14 points in addition to five rebounds and four blocks.

Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but UConn ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 80-78 win over Butler.

UConn's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Alex Karaban, who had 19 points plus seven rebounds and six assists. Karaban had some trouble finding his footing against Creighton on Saturday, so this was a nice turnaround. Solo Ball was another key player, going 8 for 14 en route to 23 points plus six rebounds.

UConn was working as a unit and finished the game with 20 assists (they're ranked third in assists per game overall). They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Butler only posted eight.

Xavier moved to 12-8 with that loss, which also ended their three-game winning streak. As for UConn, they have been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 14-5 record this season.

Saturday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Xavier has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 38.2% of their threes per game. However, it's not like UConn struggles in that department as they've drained 36.8% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Xavier came up short against UConn in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, falling 94-89. Will Xavier have more luck at home instead of on the road?

Odds

Xavier is a slight 2-point favorite against UConn, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The line on this game has moved quite a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Huskies as a 1.5-point favorite.


The over/under is 142 points.

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Series History

UConn has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Xavier.

  • Dec 18, 2024 - UConn 94 vs. Xavier 89
  • Mar 14, 2024 - UConn 87 vs. Xavier 60
  • Jan 28, 2024 - UConn 99 vs. Xavier 56
  • Jan 10, 2024 - UConn 80 vs. Xavier 75
  • Jan 25, 2023 - Xavier 82 vs. UConn 79
  • Dec 31, 2022 - Xavier 83 vs. UConn 73
  • Feb 19, 2022 - UConn 72 vs. Xavier 61
  • Feb 11, 2022 - Xavier 74 vs. UConn 68
  • Feb 13, 2021 - UConn 80 vs. Xavier 72
  • Nov 22, 2019 - Xavier 75 vs. UConn 74