| MATCHUP | UConn Huskies | Xavier Muskateers |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 12-1 | 9-4 |
| Where | Cintas Center, Cincinnati, OH | |
| When | Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | |
| Time | 05:00 PM EST | |
| TV | Peacock | |
The UConn Huskies and the Xavier Musketeers meet Wednesday in college basketball action from Cintas Center in Cincinnati. Here’s a UConn vs Xavier prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best UConn vs Xavier pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
UConn Huskies Betting Preview
The Huskies kicked off their season with a four-game win streak over New Haven, UMass Lowell, Columbia and BYU. After a loss to Arizona UConn took out Bryant, Illinois, Kansas, East Texas A&M, Florida, Texas, Butler and DePaul in succession. Over 13 games so far this year that gives the Huskies a nice 12-1 overall record in the books.
In the DePaul game on December 21, the Huskies entered the second half with a modest three-point edge. UConn hit a 39-24 run the rest of the way however, leading to a 72-54 win in the end. Tops in scoring was Alex Karaban with 21 points and six rebounds. Tarris Reed added 14 points with 11 rebounds and four assists while Silas Demary had 13 points, eight assists and seven boards in the win.
Xavier Musketeers Betting Preview
Over on the Xavier side, they went .500 over their first six games. The losses in that time were versus Santa Clara, Iowa and Georgia. Since then it’s been a 6-1 run with a loss to Creighton among wins over West Virginia, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Saint Francis, Cincinnati, Missouri State and Georgetown. That gives the Musketeers a 9-4 overall run across 13 games this year.
In the Georgetown matchup on December 20, the Musketeers entered the locker room with a five-point deficit. Xavier hit a 45-37 run the rest of the way however, leading to a comeback win 80-77. Tre Carroll was tops on 22 points with eight boards and four assists. Filip Borovicanin had 11 points with 13 rebounds and four assists while Roddie Anderson had 14 points and six boards.
Connecticut Huskies @ Xavier Musketeers Betting Trends: December 31, 2025
Why the Xavier Musketeers will win
- Xavier has won seven of its last eight games against Conference opponents at Cintas Center.
Why the Connecticut Huskies will win
- Connecticut has won each of its last nine games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Xavier has lost 16 of its last 18 games against AP-ranked opponents.
- Xavier has lost the first half in each of its last eight games at Cintas Center against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents.
UConn vs Xavier Prediction
I’ll stick with UConn. The Huskies are rolling along nicely these days and coming off a dominant win over DePaul—despite a slow start. UConn ended up shooting 47.4 percent in that one with 37 rebounds and 38 points in the paint but did have 14 turnovers along the way. UConn is scoring well during this eight-game win streak; they’ve hit 71 or more points in seven of those outings.
As for Xavier, they get credit for a nice comeback win over Georgetown in their last outing. The Musketeers shot 46.3 percent from the field in that one with 43 rebounds, 30 points in the paint and 13 turnovers. It was a nice recovery on 80 points, following a rough 57-point total in a blowout loss to Creighton. That said, Xavier will have their hands full with UConn here.