The Central Michigan Chippewas face the Xavier Musketeers in nonconference college basketball action on Wednesday. The Chippewas (1-5), who have dropped three in a row, are coming off an 85-57 loss at Kentucky on Monday night. The Musketeers (5-1), who opened the season 4-0, are coming off a 59-58 win over Virginia Tech on Friday. Due to illness, Xavier was playing without three players who had started each of the first five games. Xavier won the only two previous meetings between the teams.
Tipoff from Cintas Center in Cincinnati is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. Xavier is a 24.5-point favorite in the latest Central Michigan vs. Xavier odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 143. Before making any Xavier vs. Central Michigan picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Central Michigan vs. Xavier and just locked in its CBB picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Central Michigan vs. Xavier:
- Central Michigan vs. Xavier spread: Xavier -24.5
- Central Michigan vs. Xavier over-under: 143 points
- CMU: The Chippewas are 4-1 against the spread in their last five road games against a team with a winning home record
- XAV: The Musketeers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games vs. a team with a losing road record
Why Xavier can cover
The Musketeers have five players averaging nine or more points, including redshirt senior Nate Johnson. In six games played, Johnson is averaging 13 points, four rebounds, 1.2 assists and one steal per game. He is connecting on 50.9 percent of his field goals, including 44.4 percent from 3-point range, and is a 66.7 percent free throw shooter. Johnson, who missed the last five games last season due to a left shin injury, was among the national leaders in 3-point shooting before being shut down.
Also powering Xavier is sophomore guard Colby Jones. He leads the Big East Conference in rebounding at 10 per game, and has grabbed at least 12 rebounds in each of his last three games. He has recorded a double-double in his previous two games, but had to sit out Friday’s Virginia Tech game due to illness. Jones is second on the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game. As a freshman, he averaged 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds.
Why Central Michigan can cover
The Chippewas aren’t afraid to play a tough schedule and have lost to two Top-10 teams in just over a week, notching a 107-54 loss to No. 3 Gonzaga, and a 85-57 defeat against No. 9 Kentucky. Senior transfer guard Jermaine Jackson Jr. leads the team, averaging 13.2 points, 3.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game. Jackson played and started 15 games at Long Island University last season, ranking third on the team in scoring at 15 points per game. He scored in double figures in 11 games, including five 20-plus games.
Another key contributor for the Chippewas is redshirt senior Harrison Henderson, who is playing on his fourth team in five seasons. In six games with Central Michigan, he is averaging 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. His best game was a 21-point performance against Bellarmine on Nov. 23. He also scored 11 points against then-No. 1 Gonzaga.
How to make Central Michigan vs. Xavier picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total. In fact, it says Central Michigan’s Cameron Healy will better his season average by more than two points, while Xavier’s Ben Stanley will score 15 points over his season average. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s Xavier vs. Central Michigan pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Central Michigan vs. Xavier? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Central Michigan vs. Xavier spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $2,100 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
