Xavier vs. Cincinnati Prediction, Game Preview

Xavier vs. Cincinnati prediction and game preview. The Musketeers look to avoid a third straight road loss when they visit the Bearcats in the crosstown matchup Thursday night.

Xavier vs. Cincinnati Game Preview

When: Thursday, Jan. 26 – 7 p.m. ET
Where: Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati.
TV Broadcast: ESPN2

Myles Davis’ departure from Xavier remains puzzling. Davis tweeted Jan. 20 that he was leaving the program, and coach Chris Mack nor the university have commented on specifics. All that’s known is that Davis, who scored 17 points in last year’s win over Cincinnati, was suspended following a domestic abuse investigation, reinstated Jan. 8 and after only three games the fifth-year senior decided to leave.

Perhaps coincidentally, the Musketeers lost all three games Davis played before snapping that skid with Sunday’s 86-75 win over Georgetown in the first game since he left. Trevon Bluiett scored 24 points, and J.P. Macura added 20.

But while Xavier was going through a rough patch, the Bearcats just kept winning. They’re 7-0 in American Athletic Conference play and have won 10 in a row since losing to Butler on Dec. 10. Jacob Evans III led four players in double figures with 15 points in Saturday’s 17-point win at Tulane. Cincinnati has lost the last three meetings in the city rivalry, though.

Xavier Wins If …

… Bluiett stays hot. He nailed three 3-pointers against Georgetown after missing his previous eight attempts. The junior guard is 12 for 26 from the field in his last two games following a four-game stretch when he shot 8 for 40. The Musketeers will need him to be consistent offensively against a Bearcats team that ranks third in the AAC in scoring defense allowing 61.4 points per game.

Cincinnati Wins If …

… it continues to have a balanced offensive attack. Four players have reached double figures in each of the last two games, and Evans III (14.2), Kyle Washington (13.4) and Troy Caupain (10.8) are doing so consistently. Kevin Johnson and Quadri Moore both stepped up against Tulane with 14 points apiece, and Johnson has hit six 3-pointers over his last two contests. The Bearcats have multiple weapons and use them efficiently, which is the main reason they’re 17-2 and on quite a roll recently.

Matchup To Watch

Bluiett vs. Evans

It seems obvious given they’re the leading scorers for their respective teams, but this game easily could be decided which streaky shooter plays better. They should be matched up against each other in man-to-man situations.

Betting Odds

Spread: Cincinnati -3.5
Over/Under: No line as of post