Spread & Over/Under Predictions for West Virginia vs. Xavier

West Virginia is favored to beat Xavier Sunday afternoon. Can they cover?

West Virginia University guard Morris Ugusuk | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

It's almost time for some more West Virginia basketball in Charleston. Today, the Mountaineers will take on the Xavier Musketeers in the final day of the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic.

My picks for tonight's game are in, using the odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Spread: West Virginia -6.5

Prediction: Xavier covers.

This feels like a game West Virginia should win by double digits, but Xavier is starting to play better basketball, and if they can hang around by knocking down shots from range, we may have another game that goes down to the wire. This is the first time West Virginia has faced any sort of adversity this season, so I'm a little hesitant to say they win comfortably when we're unsure of how they'll respond.

Total: 140.5

Prediction: Over.

For what seems like maybe just the second time this season, I'm going with an over in the West Virginia game. The Mountaineers gave up 45 points in the second half to Clemson, and this Xavier team poses some similar challenges with their length. They aren't nearly as big as the Tigers, but they have bigs who can step out and shoot it, which proved to be troublesome for Ross Hodge's bunch on Friday night. Xavier allowed over 50 points to Georgia in the first half of their semifinal matchup, and with this being the second game in three days, the "tired legs" may have more of an impact on the defensive end of the floor.

Tip is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. After the game, head over to our YouTube page (West Virginia On SI) for the Mountaineer Postgame Show, where we'll take a look at the final numbers, talk about the positives, what needs to improve, and much more.

Note: Our predictions are not to be taken as gambling advice. These predictions are simply to give an opinion on what we think will happen in this week's game.

Odds Disclaimer

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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