| MATCHUP | Villanova Wildcats | Xavier Muskateers |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 20-5 | 13-12 |
| Where | Cintas Center, Cincinnati, OH | |
| When | Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | |
| Time | 06:30 PM EST | |
| TV | FS1 | |
Xavier Musketeers Preview
The Xavier Musketeers have a 13-12 overall record and a 5-9 record in the Big East. They are coming off a 96-88 home win against Marquette and their previous three games were an 87-82 road loss against St. John’s, a 92-60 road loss against Connecticut and a 68-66 home win against DePaul.
Offensively, Xavier averages 77.8 points per game, while allowing 78.5 points per game defensively. The Musketeers shoot with 44% from the field and grab 34.8 rebounds per game, while dishing out 17.9 assists per game. They average 4.1 blocks per game and 6.9 steals per game defensively.
Tre Carroll leads Xavier in scoring, with an average of 18 points per game, while shooting with 49.7% from the field and 67.8% from the free throw line. Filip Borovicanin is the team’s leading rebounder with 8 per game, adding a team-high 4.4 assists.
Villanova Wildcats Preview
The Villanova Wildcats have a 20-5 overall record and an 11-3 record in the Big East. They are coming off an 80-69 road win against Creighton and their previous three games were a 77-74 home win against Marquette, an 80-73 road win against Georgetown and a 72-60 home win against Seton Hall.
Offensively, Villanova averages 77.8 points per game, while allowing 69.1 points per game defensively. The Wildcats shoot with 46% from the field and grab 35.6 rebounds per game, while dishing out 15.2 assists per game. They average 2.1 blocks per game and 7.4 steals per game defensively.
Tyler Perkins leads Villanova in scoring, with an average of 13.6 points per game, while shooting with 44.5% from the field and 75.7% from the free throw line. Duke Brennan is the team’s leading rebounder with 10.6 per game. Acaden Lewis leads the team in assists with 5.3 per game.
Villanova Wildcats @ Xavier Musketeers Betting Trends: February 17, 2026
Why the Xavier Musketeers will win
- The home team has won 10 of Xavier’s last 11 games.
- Villanova has lost three of its last four games at Cintas Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Xavier has won the first half in four of its last five home games.
Why the Villanova Wildcats will win
- Villanova has won each of its last six games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Xavier has lost each of its last four night games.
- Villanova has won the first half in 15 of its last 17 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the last eight night games between Villanova and Xavier have produced a total of 138 or fewer points.
- Each of Villanova’s last six games at Cintas Center have produced a total of 132 or fewer points.
Villanova vs Xavier Prediction
In this Villanova vs Xavier Prediction, Villanova is coming as -5.5 road favorites. Villanova has been the better team this season and have been red-hot lately with an 8-2 record in their last 10 games and 6-1 against the spread. On the flip side, Xavier is 2-5 in its last 7 games but 7-3 against the spread. Villanova is 7-2 against the spread on the road and have a superior defense, allowing 9.4 points per game less than Xavier, so I expect them to remain hot and win and cover the spread in this matchup.