The third-seeded Xavier Musketeers narrowly avoided being upset in the first round and will face an even tougher foe this time around when they take on the No. 11 seeded Pittsburgh Panthers in a 2023 NCAA Tournament second round Midwest Region matchup on Sunday. The Panthers (24-11, 14-6 ACC) have a pair of tournament wins already, defeating Mississippi State 60-59 in a First Four matchup on Tuesday and crushing No. 6 seed Iowa State 59-41 on Friday. The Musketeers (26-9, 15-5 Big East), who are making their first tournament appearance in five years, survived on Friday with a 72-67 win over No. 14 Kennesaw State. Xavier is making its 29th NCAA Tournament appearance, while Pittsburgh has now appeared in 27.
Tipoff from Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C., is set for 12:10 p.m. ET on CBS. Pitt leads the all-time series 4-3. The Musketeers are 5.5-point favorites in the latest Xavier vs. Pittsburgh odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 151.5. Before making any Pitt vs. Xavier picks, be sure to check out 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 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Pitt 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. Pitt:
- Pittsburgh vs. Xavier spread: Xavier -5.5
- Pittsburgh vs. Xavier over/under: 151.5 points
- Pittsburgh vs. Xavier money line: Pitt +175, Xavier -210
- PITT: The Panthers are 23-7 against the spread in their last 30 games overall
- XAV: The Musketeers are 24-8-2 ATS in their last 34 NCAA Tournament games
- Pittsburgh vs. Xavier picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Xavier can cover
The Musketeers are powered by senior Souley Boum. He has reached double-figure scoring in 12 of the past 13 games, including a 17-point, five-rebound and two-assist effort in the first-round win over Kennesaw State. He scored 23 points, dished out six assists and grabbed five rebounds in an 82-60 win over Creighton in a Big East Tournament semifinal last week. In 35 starts this season, Boum is averaging 16.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 35 minutes of action.
Junior guard Colby Jones has also been red hot of late, scoring 10 or more points in six of the past seven games. In Friday's first-round win, he scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds and had four assists in 36 minutes of action. He has reached 20 or more points in three of the last six games, including 29 points and nine rebounds in a 94-89 win over Providence on March 1. In 34 starts this season, he is averaging 15 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
Why Pittsburgh can cover
Junior forward Blake Hinson is one of four players averaging in double-figure scoring. Hinson was held to five points and four rebounds in the first-round win over Iowa State, but has reached double-figure scoring in six of the past eight games. He scored 24 points in a 78-76 loss at Miami on March 4, and scored 22 in a 99-82 victory over Syracuse on Feb. 25. He has reached double-figure scoring 29 times and has recorded five double-doubles. The Ole Miss transfer has played in 35 games, including 34 starts, and is averaging 15.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
Also helping lead the Panthers is senior guard Jamarius Burton. He is coming off an 11-point, four-rebound and three-assist performance against Iowa State on Friday. In 33 starts on the year, Burton is averaging 15.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He is connecting on 49.9% of his field goals and 83.5% of his free throws. He scored 21 points and dished out eight assists in an 89-81 win over Georgia Tech in an ACC Tournament quarterfinal last week.
How to make Pitt vs. Xavier picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 150 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Xavier vs. Pitt? And which side of the spread hits 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.
