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The Texas Longhorns will face the Xavier Musketeers at the UD Arena in the First Four on Wednesday. Xavier is the 3.5-point betting favorite. We tell you if the bookmakers have called it right when we name our NCAAB betting picks.
- What: 2025 First Four
- Who: Texas Longhorns vs. Xavier Musketeers
- Where: UD Arena, Dayton, Ohio
- When: Wednesday, March 19th, 2025
- Tip-Off: 8.10 pm. ET
The final match of the First Four sees the Texas Longhorns square off against the Xavier Musketeers.
The two No.11 seeds will face off for the right to take on No.6 Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
Texas is 19-15 overall and 6-12 in Big 12 conference play this season. The Longhorns finished 14th in the Southeastern Conference.
Xavier is 13-7 in conference play and 21-11 overall. The Musketeers finished fifth in the Big East.
Our Texas vs. Xavier preview will cover the match in more detail, bringing you the latest betting and the best wagers for this highly anticipated Midwest Region showdown.
Read on for more information, starting with the match betting.
Texas Longhorns vs. Xavier Musketeers Betting
The bookmakers are predicting the Xavier Musketeers will take the final place in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The best March Madness betting sites have Xavier at -166 to win on the money line. Texas is the outsider at +140.
On the handicap spread, the Longhorns have been given a 3.5-point start. Texas is -110 to win with the handicap on their side, the Musketeers are -110 to win by four points or more and cover the spread.
The total points line is set at 149.5. Both over and under is -110.
You can check out more Texas Longhorns vs. Xavier Musketeers NCAAB betting lines on our college basketball betting table. Our NCAAB odds are from the best college basketball betting sites.
| Texas vs. Xavier |  |  |  |
| Texas | +140 | +140 | +140 |
| Xavier | -166 | -166 | -166 |
| Texas (+3.5) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Xavier (-3.5) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Over 149.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 149.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns are 4-6 in their last ten games, scoring an average of 78.3 points per match and allowing their opposition to score 83.6 points per game.
Texas lost 83-72 to Tennessee in the quarter-final of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Friday. Despite the best efforts of Kadin, Shedrick, and Jordan Pope with 14 points apiece, the Longhorns couldn’t get into the match.
Texas trailed 41-38 at halftime. But that deficit shot up to 15 points halfway through the second half and that signaled the beginning of the end for Rodney Terry’s team. And depending on how the First Four match goes, possibly Terry’s time in charge of the Longhorns.
Texas lost four of their last five regular season matches. Wins over Vanderbilt (79-72) and Texas A&M (94-89) in the opening rounds of the SEC Tournament did see an improvement in form.
But ultimately, they fell well short against the Volunteers. The Longhorns never led once in the match and looked second-best throughout the contest.
Texas is +1200 to make it to the Sweet Sixteen, +3300 to make it as far as the Elite Eight, and +10000 to win the Midwest Regional title.
Xavier Musketeers
The Musketeers are in better form than their First Four opponents. Xavier is 8-2 in its last ten matches, averaging 80.4 points per game, while giving up 72.4 points per game.
Sean Miller’s team finished the regular season with a seven-match winning run. That run was ended by an 89-87 defeat to Marquette in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday.
The Musketeers led 46-36 at the halfway stage. That lead stretched to 14 points early in the second period, but a rally from the Golden Eagles saw them fight back to secure a two-point win.
If you think that sounds bad, then spare a thought for Ryan Conwell, who scored a career-high 38 points for Xavier (a school record for a Big East Tournament game) and still ended up on the losing team.
The Musketeers guard could have done little more to help his team.
The Musketeers are +1200 to make it to the Sweet Sixteen, +3300 to reach the Elite Eight, and +10000 to win the Midwest Regional title.
Texas Longhorns vs. Xavier Musketeers Betting Picks
It’s fairly clear to everyone that the Xavier Musketeers are the school currently in the best run of form.
As for the Longhorns, it’s seemingly just a matter of time before their season comes to an end.
We say that Xavier will win. Do we back them on the money line or against a 3.5-point spread is the only question.
The Musketeers are -166 on the money line. It’s a price that’s just within range. Nevertheless, we are going for the better odds and back Xavier to win on the handicap spread.
With the Longhorns not in great form, we are also going to go for a low-scoring match and backing under 149.5 on the total points line.
See below our list of the best offshore sportsbooks for US bettors in 2025 and choose the one that suits you best:
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