Xavier enters the third round of March Madness following a respectable 84-73 win over Pittsburgh. The Big East team also sent Kennesaw State home in the process. However, the Sweet 16 presents a tougher challenge for head coach Sean Miller and his boys as they line up against Texas this Friday.

The Longhorns bulldozed Colgate in the first round and eventually brought down Penn State in the second round. They are the higher-seeded team in this matchup but keep in mind that the margins are close between both teams, which makes this a must-watch for basketball and betting fans.

The Nitrobetting team is prepared to dish out key assists and passes with betting tips and news coverage throughout the 2023 March Madness tournament. This time, let’s take a closer look at the upcoming Sweet 16 between the Xavier Musketeers and the Texas Longhorns, along with the latest game odds for this huge 2023 March Madness showdown.

Xavier vs. Texas 2023 March Madness Sweet 16 Game Information

nothing stronger than this brotherhood

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— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) March 21, 2023

• When: Friday, March 24, 2023, 9:45 PM ET
• Where: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, MO
• TV: CBS
• Radio: 700WLW (Xavier) // KTXX FM 104.9 (Texas)
• Live Stream: March Madness Live
• NCAAB Betting Odds: Xavier (+4) // Texas (-4)

READ MORE: Princeton vs. Creighton 2023 March Madness Sweet 16 Odds and Preview

Why Bet on the Xavier Musketeers?

The Musketeers finished the regular season with a 23-8 record. Their performances against Depaul and Creighton in the Big East Tournament were well-received before eventually falling to Marquette. The Musketeers bounced back with a win over Kennesaw State in the First Round which is detrimental to their run to the latter stages of the competition.

First-year Xavier head coach Sean Miller led Arizona to multiple NCAA Tournaments and already has the Musketeers fighting for an Elite Eight spot. It wasn’t a straight shot patch to this stage for him, as they trailed 14-seed Kennesaw State by double-digits in the second half. Xavier did complete the comeback win, 72-67. Jerome Hunter led his team with 24 points to his name and an abundance of instrumental plays.

The Musketeers did get a breather against Pittsburgh in the Round of 32, winning the game by nine points after leading by as much as 20 points in the latter half. Six starters scored double figures, led by Jack Nunge who had 18 points, and Colby Jones who had ten points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists. As a team, Xavier averages a sixth-best record of 81.2 points per game on a fourth-best 49.3% shooting, while maintaining 73.8 opponent points per game on 44.1% opponent shooting.

Why Bet on the Texas Longhorns?

On the Texas side, they powered through the regular season with an identical 23-8 record. The Longhorns carried out impressive numbers in the Big 12 Tournament, taking down Oklahoma State, TCU, and Kansas in the princess. In the opening round of the national tourney, Texas kicked things off with a 20-point victory over Colgate.

Their next challenge against Penn State put the Longhorns in a tight spot. While they closed the first half ahead by eight points, their opponents outscored them 43-30 but held on for the win. Dylan Disu was exceptional in every way, with a double-double of 28 points and ten rebounds.

Texas senior guard Marcus Carr will play an instrumental role in this matchup. He is a floor-spacing shooting threat with good ball-handling skills to power through defenders and finds his way to opportunities in the paint. He also leads the team in points with 15.8 per game, to go with four assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Texas averages 77.8 points per game on 47.6% shooting. These are figures within the top 30 in the league, which means the Longhorns are going to be an offensive threat through and through. Meanwhile, they have commendable defensive figures that keep teams to 67.2 points per game on 42.1% shooting.

Xavier vs. Texas Betting Trends

• Xavier is 4-1 in its last five games.
• Xavier is 2-3 against the spread in its last five contests.
• The totals went over in two of Xavier’s last five outings.
• Texas is 5-0 in the last five games.
• Texas is 4-1 against the spread in its last five games.
• The totals went under in five of Texas’ last five outings.

Xavier vs. Texas Expert Prediction

Texas is the better team here, but not by much. The Longhorns did great against a persistent Penn State team in their last match. Texas did have trouble making long-range shots, but there’s not much to complain about when looking at coach Rodney Terry and the system he put in place. As for Xavier, they look pretty solid themselves.

The Musketeers had six different names up the double-digit points in the Pittsburgh clash to help the team hit 47.6% of its shots from the field. This is going to be a tight matchup, but if there’s a team that can cover the spread, it’s Xavier. With closely packed stats and teams seeded next to each other, we eagerly anticipate a close ending between the pairing.

Where to Bet on the 2023 March Madness tournament with Bitcoin

Nitrobetting offers a solid channel for those who want to bet on the College Basketball season with crypto. The power of bitcoin and its lightning-fast transactions make your March Madness betting more enjoyable.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2023 March Madness previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest college basketball betting odds on our online bitcoin sportsbook.