Texas vs. TCU NCAA Basketball Odds, Preview and Prediction (Archive)
TCU and Texas will battle in Fort Worth with the hopes of moving into the top tier in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs and Longhorns are fourth and fifth, respectively, in the conference standings, and the winning team will move into third place as the Lone Star State teams jockey for position. Texas has won five straight in the series and is 14-5, 4-3 in the Big 12. TCU is 13-3, 3-2 in the conference.
Read on to take a look at the NCAAB odds and the best sportsbook to bet with today.
Texas Longhorns vs. TCU Horned Frogs
Tuesday, 25 January 2022 – 9:00 PM EST at Schollmaier Arena
Not so Fast
TCU will look to slow things down and grind out a win. The Horned Frogs play at the No. 269 tempo in the nation and have held the last four opponents to under 60 points, winning three of the games. That’s the longest streak of sub-60 games by the TCU defense since 2014-15.
The problem for the Frogs is that strategy plays right into the Longhorns’ strength. Texas plays even slower than TCU, ranking No. 350 in the nation in tempo. Only eight teams play slower than Texas, and Villanova and Virginia are the only power conference teams with a more deliberate pace. Texas is 14-0 this season when its opponent scores less than 60 points. The Longhorns allow a nation’s best 54.9 points per game. TCU comes in at No. 18, at 60.7.
Bouncing Back?
Texas dropped out of the AP Top 25 this week after losing three out of four games. The Longhorns got back on track, Saturday, surviving Oklahoma State—one of the three teams to beat them in the cold stretch—56-51 at home.
This opens a brutal month for Texas. According to KenPom and Bart Torvik analytics, TCU is the lowest-ranked team Texas will face in the next 31 days, with two games each against Baylor, Kansas, and Texas Tech still looming, as well as Tennessee and Iowa State. So a win over the Horned Frogs is crucial to the Longhorns.
VIDEO PICKS: Watch BMR’s Free Expert Sports Betting Picks for Today
Texas will need to improve its ball security. The Longhorns have had 20 turnovers in two of the last three games. That nullifies a defense that ranks No. 4 in turnover rate.
Texas starts four seniors and a junior and has balanced scoring, making it difficult to key on any one player when game planning against the Longhorns.
Riding High
TCU is coming off its biggest road win in program history after beating then No. 15 ranked Iowa State, 59-44 on Saturday. It was the third win in four games for the Horned Frogs and just the third road win over a ranked team in TCU basketball history, topping a win over No. 17 Iowa State in 2019.
Always tough on defense, TCU found a new level on Saturday, holding the Cyclones to 3-of-26 from three and .309 from the field, its best defensive performances of the season. TCU ranks in the top 40 nationally in defensive efficiency, adjusted field goal defense, rebounding rate, and two-point shooting defense.
Damion Baugh had seven steals against Iowa State, the most by a Horned Frog since 2001. He also lit it up on offense, scoring a career-high 23 points.
Chuck O'Bannon Jr. and Mike Miles also provide options on offense, and the Horned Frogs lead the nation in offensive rebounding.
The Pick
Don’t expect to see many points in this one, as both teams will slow the game to a near halt. With two elite defenses, this could come down to offensive firepower, and TCU has more players that are candidates to hit big shots late.
For your college basketball pick, look for the Horned Frogs to defend their home floor and earn a hard-fought cover over the visiting Longhorns.
NCAAB Pick: TCU +2.5 (-115) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.