Online Sportsbook Picks – Xavier Is Tuesday’s College Basketball Lock

Looking for some Online Sportsbook Picks to pad your bankroll this week? Well look no further than Cincinnati, OH on Tuesday night, where the Xavier Musketeers are heavy favorites over the visiting LaSalle Explorers.

LaSalle Explorers (12-15 SU, 9-13 ATS) at Xavier Musketeers (20-6 SU, 10-14-1 ATS)

Tuesday, February 22: 7:00 p.m.

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Betting Odds:

LaSalle: +14 ½

Xavier: -14 ½

And honestly, why wouldn’t they be? Xavier enters this one sitting atop the Atlantic 10 standings with an 11-1 league mark and have also won 9 out of their last 10 games. Included in that stretch is a 6-4 record against the spread.

Ultimately, everything starts for this team with guard Tu Holloway. The junior from New York is far and away the Musketeers best player, averaging 20 points and 5.3 assists per game, both numbers that rank him in the top two in the conference. Guard Mark Lyons adds shooting from the perimeter, while Jamel McLean and Kenny Frease contribute scoring down low. The pair combines for 23 points and 15.5 rebounds a night.

As for LaSalle, well, our advice when wagering in the Online Sportsbook would likely be to avoid them here. For all the talent they have, the Explorers just haven’t seemed like themselves lately.

They’ve lost four of their last five games.

And although it isn’t fair to totally place the blame on one player, a lot of the responsibility does need to fall on sophomore forward Aaric Murray. Murray is an innately skilled big man, and maybe the toughest matchup for anyone in the Atlantic 10 in the paint. The problem is that he just doesn’t always play like it. Murray is averaging 15 points and seven rebounds a game, but as Saturday’s loss to George Washington proved, he tends to disappear for long stretches, as he was limited to just 11 points and four rebounds. If LaSalle can’t get better production from Murray, there’s just no way we can advise you to be on the Explorers in the Online Sportsbook.

Also, here’s one more note on LaSalle: They’re currently ranked No. 338th nationally in scoring defense, giving up an unheard of 78.7 points per game. How could you possibly wager on the Explorers after seeing a stat like that?

You can’t, which is why in the end Xavier is our Expert Betting picks. The Musketeers are the better team, and have better leadership and skill with Holloway in charge. Also it’s important to note that Xavier is nearly unbeatable at home, as they enter this one at 12-1 at the Cintas Center, with wins over Butler, Temple and Richmond amongst others. Their only loss was to the Florida Gators, currently the No. 13 team in the country.

Simply put, we just can’t see any way the Xavier Musketeers lose here. Even with a big spread, go ahead and wager on Xavier in the Online Sportsbook. It’s the safest bet on the board.

Expert Betting Picks: Xavier -14 ½

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