To college basketball fans there’s no nastier rivalry than the Crosstown Shootout featuring the Cincinnati Bearcats and Xavier Musketeers. Separated by only about three miles in the city of Cincinnati, it’s also one of the closest major rivalries. The game has been played annually since 1946 with Cincinnati winning 50 of the 92 all-time meetings.
With a balanced attack featuring six players averaging more than 8.0 points per game, the Bearcats are the better team, at least on paper, but rivalry games of this magnitude have potential to be volatile. Cincinnati bounced back from an upset loss to Eastern Michigan with a win over Tarleton State on Monday improving to 6-2.
Cincinnati at Xavier Preview
The earliest meeting of the rivalry game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Xavier Musketeers since the 2017 season takes place on Friday, December 5, 2025 from Cintas Center on the campus of Xavier University in Cincinnati. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with the game airing on TNT.
Public Betting Odds Factors
- Cincinnati is just 2-2 in its last four games including a loss to EMU when favorite at home by 22.5 points. The Bearcats have failed to cover the closing spread in their last five games and are 2-6 overall against the college basketball odds.
- One thing the Bearcats do well is defend and it shows in the stats. They rank among the top 20 nationally in fewest points per game allowed and field goal percentage defense. In a recent loss they held Louisville to nearly 30 points below its season average. It allowed Cincy to cash the UNDER in two straight and in six of the last seven games.
- Returning from a 2-game absence, leading scorer Baba Miller gave Cincy a boost in its last game scoring 13 points with 11 rebounds. Miller is averaging 14.2 points and 10.2 rebounds while shooting 64.6 percent from the field.
- After a sluggish start to the season under new head coach Richard Pitino that included back to back 19-point losses to Santa Clara and Iowa, the Musketeers have won three straight and four of their last five going 4-1 against the college basketball point spread.
- Xavier has won 10 straight over Cincinnati in games played at the Cintas Center covering the spread in each of the last seven contests.
- Jovan Milicevic, Ali Wright and Isaiah Walker all shoot better than 42.5 percent from 3-point range helping the Musketeers rank 36th nationally in 3-point percentage as a team at 38.4 percent. They’ve made at least 10 triples in five straight games twice dropping a season-high 16.
Cincinnati at Xavier Predictions
- One of the weaker parts of Cincy’s defense is defending the 3-point shot, which happens to be a strength of the Musketeers. Xavier will attempt and make its share of 3-pointers but I like Cincinnati’s overall defensive pressure and balanced offense to wear down the Musketeers in the end leading to a cover victory.
- Cincy’s Day Day Thomas should be a prop target in this matchup. He put together a big game against Tarleton State with 19 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds and he’ll likely play more minutes in a bigger setting giving him the opportunity for greater productivity.
Cincinnati at Xavier Betting Tips
- The Bearcats have played some closer than expected games against teams they probably should have beaten handily. They turned the ball over 20 times in a win against NJIT and lost to EMU last week as a big favorite.
- Cincy has gone five straight games without a payout and is 2-6 ATS overall. The Bearcats have also gone UNDER the total in six of their last seven games.
- Things began to turn around for Xavier in a recent loss to undefeated Georgia. A late 3-pointer gave UGA the 78-77 win in a game the Musketeers overcame a double-digit second half deficit. X stayed within the 10.5-point line starting a run of four straight payouts.
Cincinnati at Xavier Head to Head and Key Stats
- Cincinnati’s 68-65 win in last season’s meeting ended a 5-game Xavier winning streak in the series.
- The Musketeers have won the last 10 games played at Cintas Center while going 8-2 ATS, including payouts in each of the last seven.
- The series has been close lately with the last three matchups decided by 5 points or less and five of the last six having a margin of 8 points or less.
- Seven of the last nine meetings have gone OVER the total.
