TCU vs. Texas Odds, Picks, and Predictions (2/23/22)

TCU vs. Texas Odds, Picks, and Predictions (2/23/22)

This Wednesday, February 23rd, the Texas Longhorns will be hosting the TCU Horned Frogs for their second meeting of the 2021-2022 season. Both teams have been competitively soaring through the competition in the Big 12, but Texas has also found themselves working their way up the ladder in national recognition. Even after the close loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the Longhorns remain in their #20 rank. TCU has yet to see themselves on the national leaderboard but are only one space behind the Longhorns in the Big 12. They are 1.5 games behind the Texas team, so a win in Austin will boost their chances of taking the #4 seed before the season quickly comes to an end. This matchup has tip-off set for 6:00 PM CST and can be viewed at Erwin Events Center or on ESPN2.

TCU vs. Texas Betting Odds

The TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas Longhorns are having their rematch for their earlier meeting that resulted in a Texas win, 73-50. Because of the huge deficit caused by their last meeting and the continuous demolition of opponents, Texas is a clear favorite going into this meeting. ESPN’s matchup predictor reports a Texas win with an 84.6% confidence interval. The spread has been set with a large margin of -8 points for Texas and +8 for TCU. This spread is relatively generous when looking at how the last game ended with a 23 point runaway for the Longhorns. This meeting showcases the gap between the top teams in the Big 12 and the rest of the conference. TCU is in fifth place in the Big 12, with Texas being in fourth, and yet the level of play differs significantly.

Although Texas is the clear favorite with a better record, TCU has the second-best cover rate in the Big 12. Covering games does not equal winning games, but a close cover means a great game. TCU has gone 14-9-2 against the spread, covering 60.9%. Texas has not had the same success against the spread, going 12-15, covering only 44.4% of their games. The match between these teams is starting to look like it may be a repeat. The TCU offense is no match for the Texas defense, but they may make more ground than the last game.

My Prediction: Texas Wins 67-58, Texas Covers

TCU Horned Frogs Odds

The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs have been on the edge of greatness in the Big 12 all season. They have taken down opponents such as the (then #15 ranked) Iowa State Cyclones and the (then #19 ranked) LSU Tigers. The team is made up of very talented players, and they have great potential to be a star-studded team. However, they lack the ability to close the game against aggressive opponents. Their defense has also struggled to keep teams at bay. The defense averages 63.9 allowed points per game, which is 6.2 more points per game than Texas allows. This TCU team has taken marginal losses by big teams like the Baylor Bears, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and the Texas Longhorns. All of these teams are at the top of the Big 12, and this separation exemplifies how good teams can take a beating in the toughest conferences in Division I basketball.

The team is offensively held together by sophomore guard Mike Miles. Miles averages 14.7 points per game, which leads the team by four points. When away, Miles’ stats drop slightly to averaging 13.3 points per game. In the last matchup against Texas, Miles was able to put up 14 points and secured four rebounds. He was the leading point scorer in that game for his team to be followed close behind by Emanuel Miller. The junior forward was able to put up 13 points in the game against Texas, which is three more than he averages. The key asset Miller has is his shooting ability. On the season, he shoots 50% from all over the court. He also averages 6.4 rebounds per game and keeps the plays alive for his team. In this game, this duo will be the key to keeping TCU in this game. I would expect many connections between the two to spread the defense to lead to points.

Texas Longhorns Odds

The Texas Longhorns are recovering from a close loss to the unstoppable Texas Tech Red Raiders from this previous weekend. However, keeping a close game to the Red Raiders on their homecourt is quite an accomplishment and showcases the team’s ability to be a force to be reckoned with. As they prepare for their game with TCU, the team is focusing on their shot accuracy. In the game against Texas Tech, the team only shot 28.3% from the field. This is a huge dip from their average of 50.3% from the field. The Raiders’ defense is superb, but they can’t have the same floppy shots against TCU, or they might fall to an upset. They also failed to use asset Timmy Allen in the game, which caused them to lose huge points under the basket. If you can only get six points out of Allen, you won’t succeed against a competitive opponent.

If the Longhorns can focus on utilizing Allen more effectively in this game against TCU, they should be secure in victory. Allen is the top scorer on the team averaging 11.7 points per game. Earlier in the season against TCU, Allen was able to put up 16 points shooting 46.2%. TCU lacks a sufficient defense under the basket, especially against a powerhouse like Timmy Allen, so the team will need to feed him the ball and get mismatched screens to lead to easy points. Allen is also the team’s best rebounder, averaging 6.4 per game. If he can stay an active player in this game on rebounds, he should easily be able to kick the ball out to Courtney Ramey for a three. Ramey, a senior guard out of St. Louis, was crucial to the Longhorn win over TCU earlier in the season. He scored 14 points and shot 40% from beyond the three-point line. Texas has been excellent at swinging the ball until an appropriate shot is ready, and that shot can be trusted in the hands of Ramey.

TCU vs. Texas Picks and Predictions

This game will be the showcase of true Texas basketball. The team has a fighting spirit that has them as a number four seed going into Men’s Division I March Madness playoffs. They have proven to be a weakness for TCU’s team and should continue to show it again this week. TCU will need to improve their shot accuracy and play much stricter defense, especially under the basket. This meeting has a widespread of 8 points, and I believe it should fall in Texas’ favor.