Picks, predictions for DePaul vs. Xavier in Big East quarterfinals on Thursday

What a 24 hours it’ll be for DePaul. After upsetting Seton Hall thanks to a buzzer-beating goaltend being called off, the Blue Demons will look to keep the NCAA Tournament hopes alive with an upset over the Xavier Musketeers in the quarterfinal of the Big East Tournament. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on FS1.

Let’s take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

DePaul vs. Xavier odds in Big East quarterfinals

Spread: Xavier -12.5
Over/Under: 152.5
Moneyline: Xavier -800, DePaul +575

As mentioned above, DePaul advanced to the quarterfinals on the skin of its teeth, as the Blue Demons stormed back in the final seconds to take a lead against Seton Hall before coming inches away from losing at the buzzer. Javan Johnson showed out for the Blue Demons last night, tallying a team-high 19 points, while Umoja Gibson (their leading scorer on the season) made the eventual game-winning layup with 3.9 seconds left.

Despite losing two-way threat Zach Freemantle to injury earlier this year, Xavier has just kept winning thanks to a strong core led by Souley Boum (16.8 ppg) and Colby Jones (15.8 ppg). The Musketeers ended the season on a three-game winning streak to secure the second seed in the Big East tournament.

The Pick DePaul +12.5

While DePaul only managed to win three conference games this year, one of those wins came in the form of a 73-72 win over Xavier in January. I don’t think DePaul will win, but 12 points are too many to give up against a team that’s riding the high of one of the biggest games of the year and has already proven it can play with Xavier.