Many eyes in the college basketball world will be on Stan Sheriff Center Thursday as host Xavier looks to handle the Long Beach State 49ers in NCAAB action.

The game is being played at Stan Sheriff Center, which makes it technically a neutral site match.

The 49ers will try to spoil to the party on Thursday; they are 4-4 ATS against the number this season, while the Musketeers are 4-3 ATS. Long Beach State is 5-2-1 on the totals; Xavier is 3-4.



View Long Beach State vs Xavier Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
College basketball odds makers opened the Musketeers as 1.5-point underdogs in this matchupl.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
It's a betting matchup between the No. 9-rated Musketeers and the No. 24-ranked 49ers, according to the latest pro hoops power rankings here at Odds Shark. Prediction formulas run on this game indicate a possible 78-74 result in favor of the Musketeers.



How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and 49ers is ranked No. 235 in NCAA hoops at 34.1 per game. Contrast that with Xavier’s No. 20 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Xavier is the No. 296-ranked team in the country at 4.7 per game, while Long Beach State rates No. 211 at 5.8 per game.

Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Long Beach State owns the country's No. 298-rated mark, allowing 79.5 points per game on the highway. Xavier, on the other hand, rates No. 245 in scoring at home.

Long Beach State won its last outing, a 76-54 result against Eastern New Mexico on December 19. The 49ers blew out Eastern New Mexico on Monday, running up a 20+ point victory in a 76-54 win at The Walter Pyramid.

Last time out for Xavier, they were a 64-42 loser as they battled Oral Roberts at home. They failed to cover in the match as a 5.5-point favorite. Xavier was run off the court by the Golden Eagles on Sunday as Oral Roberts routed them 64-42 at Cintas Center.


Long Beach State 49ers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing UC Irvine are 2-8
After a win are 6-4

Xavier Musketeers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Gonzaga are 2-0
After a loss are 8-2

A few 49ers at Musketeers trends to consider:
Xavier is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games


Next up:
Long Beach State at UC Irvine, Monday, January 2
Xavier home to Gonzaga, Saturday, December 31