Adding to the intrigue of the 93rd Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout on Dec. 5 is that, like most college basketball programs in December, Xavier and UC are far from finished products.One month ago, when the college basketball season began, you probably would’ve penciled in UC as a clear-cut favorite in the Crosstown Shootout with Richard Pitino’s Musketeers struggling over a 2-2 start. More: UC Bearcats haven’t won Crosstown Shootout at Cintas Center since 2001More: 5 ways Xavier Musketeers can beat UC Bearcats in Crosstown ShootoutHowever, Xavier is on a three-game winning streak and a 4-1 stretch overall while UC suffered a hard-fought loss to Louisville at Heritage Bank Center and a crushing defeat to Eastern Michigan at home before Thanksgiving. So, who has the upper hand? According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Xavier opens as a 1.5-point favorite over UC in Friday’s Crosstown Shootout at Cintas Center. The total (over/under) opened at 145.5. KenPom, which has UC (No. 72) eight spots higher than Xavier (No. 80), projects a 72-70 victory for the Musketeers. UC, which snapped a five-game losing streak to Xavier last year at Fifth Third Arena, has not won at Cintas Center since 2001. More: UC Bearcats haven’t won Crosstown Shootout at Cintas Center since 2001More: Xavier guard Isaiah Walker has family ties in Crosstown ShootoutXavier 2-4 ATS (against the spread) and 5-1 overall as a favorite this season. The Musketeers opened the year as double-digit favorites in their first two games but had to grind out ugly wins over Marist (66-62) and Le Moyne (74-69). Xavier covered as a big favorite against Old Dominion (99-69) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (88-67). The Musketeers’ won but did not cover the 27.5-point spread against Saint Francis. Xavier’s only loss as a favorite came against Santa Clara.More: How have first-year Xavier, UC coaches fared in Crosstown Shootout?If Xavier remains favored, it will be just the second time this season UC has been an underdog during its non-conference season. The Bearcats were eight-point underdogs and didn’t cover in their loss to Louisville (74-64).This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is favored between UC, Xavier in Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout?