Xavier at Butler: College basketball game preview, TV schedule, prediction

In a pivotal rivalry game for the top of the Big East standings, will Butler exact revenge for their loss earlier this season against Xavier?

Matchup: Xavier Musketeers (21-3, 9-2) at Butler Bulldogs (17-7, 7-4)

Date and time: Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. ET

TV schedule: Fox Sports 1

Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN.

In the Big East, there are few rivalry games as big as this one. In addition to their hatred for each other on and off the court, Butler and Xavier represent two of the elite college basketball programs in the nation. Once again, these teams are in the thick of the NCAA Tournament conversation this season. The squads rank second and third in the conference, respectively, heading into this game. This game could have a significant impact on the Big East standings.

This marks the second meeting of these teams this season. The first matchup came at the Cintas Center with the Musketeers coming out on top, 86-79. That game marked the first loss in a three-game losing streak by the Bulldogs earlier this year. Since then, though, the team has won five of their last six games and has moved into solid position in the conference on the nation.

Xavier, on the other hand, lost the two games after their win over Butler before winning each of their last six games. The Musketeers will be looking to continue that streak into this very challenging week. Chris Mack’s team not only has to go on the road to face Butler but then gets Creighton on the road before returning home to play Seton Hall and Villanova.

How can Xavier win this game?

The Musketeers are the better team in this matchup but will be playing on the road. As has been evident throughout conference play so far this season, winning away from home in exceedingly difficult. Both of Xavier’s conference losses this year (Providence, Villanova) came on the road. In addition, Xavier has shown signs of weakness in their most recent games.

While their winning streak may still be intact, they narrowly avoided upset bids by St. John’s and Georgetown (in OT) in their last two games. In order to defeat Butler on the road, Xavier will need to play much better than they have as of late. This game is the beginning of an extremely difficult stretch and the team will need to succeed in order to keep their position on the No. 1 line of our projected field at Busting Brackets.

Leading the team in this game will be the powerful duo of Trevon Bluiett (19.2 ppg) and J.P. Macura (12.7 ppg). These two players represent two of the best players in the conference and can do it all. They are the two leading scorers on the Musketeers and will be relied on to pull much of the weight in this game. The only other player averaging in double-figures for scoring is Kerem Kanter at 10.3 ppg.

In conference play, Xavier has the third-most potent offense at 82.0 points scored per game while sustaining average play on defense. They rank sixth in the Big East in points allowed per game at 77.5.

How can Butler win this game?

Butler’s home-court advantage is one of the best in the country. Year in and year out, the Bulldogs are one of the best teams in the nation when playing in front of their home crowd. That is no different this year. Butler holds a 12-1 record in Hinkle Fieldhouse this season with their lone loss coming against the Seton Hall Pirates. With this rivalry matchup coming, you can expect Butler fans to show out even on a weeknight.

More Coverage: Butler Bulldogs

It is important to note that the Bulldogs are also riding a hot streak heading into this game. They have won four consecutive games by an average margin of 20 points. The biggest reason for this success has been the improvement of Butler’s defense. In their first 20 games of the season, the Bulldogs allowed opponents to score 72.7 points per game and shoot 45.1% from the field (37.9% from three). Yet, in this three-game winning streak, the team has held opponents to just 60.3 points per game and 37.0% from the field (31.9%).

On the offensive end of the floor, the Bulldogs also have a pair of studs that they can turn to. Most notably, senior Kelan Martin is having a tremendous season. He is currently leading the conference at 21.9 points per game while putting up 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game (in Big East games only). The other key player to mention for Butler is sophomore Kamar Baldwin. In conference play, the guard is averaging 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.

While the Bulldogs rank second in the conference in scoring (82.5 points per game), they also rank second in points allowed (just 76.1 per game). Their balance is showing as the team is hitting their stride at the moment.

Next: Most recent Big East rankings

In the end, I think that this game could come down to free throw shooting. In addition to having home-court advantage, Butler has shot the ball better from the charity stripe in conference play. The Bulldogs are shooting 80.0% on foul shots in 11 conference games while Xavier is 73.0% in their 11 contests.

Prediction: Butler 78, Xavier 74.