TCU (9) vs. Utah State (8) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
The Horned Frogs are coming off a humbling 60-45 loss to top-ranked Houston in the Big 12 Tournament quarter-finals and have now recorded consecutive wins just once during a middling 5-7 run. The Aggies return to the Big Dance looking to flip the script on a lengthy run of futility at March Madness after bowing out in the first round in each of their past 10 appearances, but could be poised to turn things around after winning six of their past seven contests.
Despite their strong finish and closing out the campaign at No. 20 in the AP Top 25 rankings, the Aggies lag as 3.5-point underdogs on Friday’s first round odds. The Horned Frogs are pegged as a strong -185 bet on the March Madness moneyline and the total is listed at 150.5.
TCU vs. Utah State NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
It is tough to overstate just how dismal the Aggies’ past performance has been at the Big Dance. Overall, the team has posted just one total win in 20 tournament games since 1970, and have fallen to defeat by an average margin of 11.6 points during their epic eight-game losing streak in the first round including losses as betting chalk in two of their past three appearances. While this team closed out their schedule on an 8-2 SU run, they have been a consistent betting disappointment, going 3-8-1 ATS in their past 12 including SU and ATS in their past three as underdogs.
The Horned Frogs have had a hard time rediscovering consistent form and have particularly struggled against nationally ranked opponents, covering just once while losing four straight. However, TCU has enjoyed marginally better results at March Madness, claiming first round wins in each of the past two years and has covered in three of its past four tournament games.
TCU Horned Frogs (9)
The Horned Frogs were simply outclassed in their Big 12 Tournament loss to Houston, mustering just 15 points in the first half and converting just 23.3 per cent from the field in their worst performance by far this season. The Cougars did a particularly fine job of containing TCU leading scorer Emanuel Miller. The Scarborough, Ontario native was limited to three points on 10 per cent shooting in the loss. Indeed, Miller’s play is key to this team’s success, with the Horned Frogs going 0-5 in their last five when the senior big man scores 15 or fewer points.
Utah State Aggies (8)
Second-half letdowns have plagued this team of late. The Aggies squandered a first-half double-digit lead and allowed the San Diego State Aztecs to rack up 50 points after the break while handing them an 86-70 loss in the MWC Tournament semi-final. The loss came after they blew a late eight-point lead and needed overtime to claim an 87-75 win over Fresno State in the quarter-final. Great Osobor emerged as the top producer in both those contests, highlighted by his 29-point, 17-rebound performance versus the Bulldogs and has tallied double-doubles in five of 10 outings.
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