Kennesaw St. vs. Xavier Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
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Edgar Chaput
The Owls (23-8) sweated out a narrow victory over the Liberty Flames in the ASUN championship bout, whereas the Musketeers (25-9) succumbed to the Marquette Golden Eagles in the Big East final battle.
Despite those results, the NCAA odds hold Xavier in high esteem, granting them status as -12.5 favourites. The total is set at 154.5.
Kennesaw St. Owls vs. Xavier Musketeers NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
These schools have met only once in their histories, and it was some time ago. it was all the way back in November 2004, with the contest going Xavier’s way, 67-60.
The Owls were involved in two playoff games decided by the exact same score, 67-66. Whatever their chances against Xavier, no one can say they can’t squeeze out wins from tight situations under pressure. Even though they ended up winning the ASUN, thus earning their first-ever NCAA tournament participation, the conclusion to the regular campaign was a little wonky. They only went 3-4 down the stretch. The under has connected in four of five games, playoffs included.
Xavier and Marquette were heading into the NCAA tournament regardless of who won the Big East title contest, but the result spoke to Xavier’s middling end of the campaign. They only won four of their final seven regular-season games. Betting on them for outright wins is safer than for spreads. Only seven of their last 16 spreads have been dealt with. The school does come with some NCAA pedigree, having been an Elite Eight participant in 2017, and a Sweet Sixteen player five times between 2008 and 2015.
Kennesaw St. Owls (14)
The USAN championship battle was one for the ages. Not only was it an incredibly close contest, but the result meant that the Owls partake in the big NCAA dance for the first time ever.
The Liberty and Owls did battle as teams desperate to win a trophy should. The largest lead Liberty ever held was four and that for Kennesaw eight, and even that didn’t last very long. Kennesaw could never truly put Liberty to bed, even though they greatly outdid their opposite number from beyond the arc (40.0 to 21.5 per cent). In an ironic twist, it was said that the Owls aren’t terrific from the free throw line, yet that’s what proved the difference maker, as they hit a fantastic 15 of 18 attempts, whereas Liberty could only go 9-for-14. The biggest of all came with 0.7 seconds left on the clock when Terrell Burden hit one of his two shots. Burden led his side with 19 points and Demond Robinson was a beast with his 11 rebounds. Owls live on, 67-66.
Xavier Musketeers (3)
As alluded to, the outcome of the Big East final versus Marquette was not going to hinder the school’s odds of being a NCAA tournament player but seeding matters. Furthermore, there was the way Xavier was manhandled.
They couldn’t have started slower if they tried, facing a 21-6 disadvantage less than eight minutes into the first half. Whatever Xavier tried didn’t work and whatever Marquette attempted went beautifully. The eventual winners cooled off as the game wore on, given that they outshot Xavier only 36.1 per cent to 34.4, but the early lead was insurmountable. In fact, it ballooned to 27 at one point. Adam Kunkel was the Musketeers’ best option on the attack, as he tallied a 14-point night, mostly thanks to 4-for-9 shooting from distance. Defensively and offensively they looked messy and discombobulated, which led to the 65-51 loss.
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