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Texas vs. Xavier: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Picks & Predictions (Friday)

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The first two rounds of the 2023 NCAA Tournament were pure madness, with more upsets than ever appearing to happen everywhere. After a little break, let’s examine in more detail the two Midwest Region games scheduled for Friday’s Slate. Below is a closer look at Texas vs. Xavier.

Sweet 16 Betting Picks & Predictions

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Friday Sweet 16 Picks & Predictions

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Friday’s Best 2023 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region Bets

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Texas vs. Xavier

The Sweet 16 of the 2022–23 NCAA Tournament begins on Thursday, and on Friday, the 2-seed Texas Longhorns and 3-seed Xavier Musketeers will play in an exciting Midwest Region clash.

On Saturday, Texas defeated No. 10 Penn State 71-66 thanks to a strong first half. In the meantime, Xavier beat No. 11 Pittsburgh 84-73 to make it to the Sweet 16.

Although Xavier’s attack has been excellent this season, Texas will prevent them from scoring at will, unlike their opponents have thus far. The Longhorns have kept their last six opponents to a 58.2 PPG average while allowing just 67.2 PPG on the season. Over that time, they totally shut down opponents like TCU and Kansas, demonstrating the Longhorns’ ability to handle top opposition.

With the offensive talent present on both sides, I’m anticipating some first-half adjustments to be needed, but I give Texas a much bigger edge. If they can contain Xavier in the first 10 minutes, look for them to settle in, find their shots and pull away late.

The pick: Texas -4 (-110)

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Check out all of our coverage for the 2023 NCAA Tournament >>


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