The Santa Clara Broncos take on the Xavier Musketeers in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. EST on Fox Sports 1.
Xavier is favored by -3 points on the spread with a moneyline of -165. The total is set at 156.5 points.
Here’s my Santa Clara vs. Xavier prediction and college basketball picks for November 10, 2025.
Santa Clara vs Xavier Prediction
My Pick: Santa Clara ML
My Santa Clara vs Xavier best bet is on Santa Clara ML. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Santa Clara vs. Xavier Odds
| Santa Clara Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -115 | 156.5 -110o / -110u | +145 |
| Xavier Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -105 | 156.5 -110o / -110u | -165 |
- Santa Clara vs Xavier spread: Santa Clara +3 (-115), Xavier -3 (-105)
- Santa Clara vs Xavier over/under: 156.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Santa Clara vs Xavier moneyline: Santa Clara +145, Xavier -165
- Santa Clara vs Xavier best bet: Santa Clara ML
Santa Clara vs Xavier College Basketball Betting Preview
Santa Clara Basketball
Santa Clara faced a tough test against a talented McNeese State squad in its last game. What stood out about that victory is the Broncos' shooting ability and length.
They connected on 12-for-31 shots from deep, making up for their brutal 40% shooting performance from inside the arc.
Three of the five Santa Clara starters are 6-foot-7 or taller — and that doesn't include G-League alum Thierry Darlan, and his 6-8 frame off the bench.
Elijah Mahi and Jake Ensminger are big, versatile, and make the Broncos tough to defend. If you see the ball flying around the perimeter to find a good look from deep, one of those two likely makes it happen. Mahi is an elite driver who can also hit a 3 and operates well in pick & roll. Ensminger had six assists in the win over McNeese and is shooting it better so far.
The path to the Broncos winning? Limiting the turnovers. They have a bunch of ball-handlers and passers. However, McNeese State pressured the ball and forced 18 turnovers. That'll give Xavier a good chance to win if it happens again.
Freshman big man Allen Graves is a name to watch. He'll have to battle a bigger center in Anthony Robinson, but Graves snagged 13 boards in the win over McNeese.
Xavier Basketball
The Richard Pitino era at Xavier is off to a bit of a sweaty start. The Musketeers held a 20-point lead versus Marist, but the Red Foxes came all the way back to lead late before Xavier pulled away. In game two, Xavier trailed to Le Moyne early before coming back to win by five.
What is the commonality in the two games? The Musketeers don't have much scoring. I don't have a ton of optimism for them getting things rolling, as they scored 0.97 PPP and 1.07 PPP against two teams they should score much easier against.
The perimeter scoring is a real concern. Malik Messina-Moore and All Wright have to shoulder more of the scoring load. Wright attempted just 11 shots in the first two games. Meanwhile, Messina-Moore scored 16 and 17 points.
Clunky is the word that comes to mind when I think of Xavier's lineup. The lack of a true wing is glaring, as Tre Carroll is playing the three next to Filip Borovicanin and Anthony Robinson.
None of those three shot it well from deep. Carroll shot a good percentage last year at FAU, but on a really low volume. Borovicinan can hit one if he's open enough — and Robinson is a non-shooter.
It almost feels like Xavier has to be elite defensively to be a good — or even average team. The Musketeers forced Marist and Le Moyne to turn it over 18 times each. That'll have to be their DNA.
Santa Clara vs. Xavier Betting Analysis
I'll take plus money with Santa Clara ML. Even on the road, I view this game as a pick' em, so I'm rolling with the ML.
From a pure talent standpoint, I'd take Santa Clara. Plus, it's still early in the season, and I value teams that have experience playing together. Santa Clara has four starters who were with the program last year — and Xavier has none.
I think Xavier will be among the worst high-major teams in the country — and the Broncos, while they are a WCC team, operate like a high-major program. They have plenty of talent and a proven style that leads to winning.
My Pick: Santa Clara ML
