TCU vs. Gonzaga Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
The TCU Horned Frogs will be looking to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams when they take on the powerhouse Gonzaga Bulldogs on Sunday in West Region Second Round action. The No. 6 seed in the West, the Horned Frogs advanced to the Second Round for a second straight year with Friday’s slender 72-10 win over No. 11 Arizona State, but have won just three of their past nine away from home court at Schollmaier Arena. The third-seeded Bulldogs are coming off their 10th straight First Round victory in March Madness action, overcoming an early challenge from Grand Canyon to record an 82-70 win.
Losers against the spread in each of their past six contests at the Big Dance, the Zags look to Sunday’s contest favoured by just 4.5 points. The Horned Frogs are listed as +165 moneyline underdogs, and the total is pegged at a lofty 156.5.
TCU vs. Gonzaga NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
Sunday night’s matchup at Ball Arena in Denver marks the first meeting between these teams since December 1998, and their first ever date at the NCAA Tournament. TCU eked out a 90-87 in their most recent clash 25 years ago, and have won one of two all-time clashes between these teams.
The Horned Frogs face a colossal task to rewrite a losing narrative at March Madness. While TCU has won three of their past five First Round contests, they are winless in two previous Second Round games in the modern era, with those losses coming in heartbreaking fashion by a combined total of just six points.
Texas Christian Horned Frogs (6)
With their offence sputtering, the Horned Frogs were fortunate to escape with the win over ASU on Friday. Trailing by seven points at the half, the squad took advantage of a Sun Devils meltdown after the break, limiting Arizona State to just 26 points. But while the squad’s stingy play paid dividends, they must be vastly more efficient at generating offence against the Zags after converting on just 35.5% of attempts from the field. Indeed, scoring has come at a premium for the inconsistent Horned Frogs, who have been limited to 61 or fewer points on five occasions over their past 11 games. Scoring was not a problem for Mike Miles Jr. The junior drained a game-high 26 points on Thursday, and has now averaged 22.7 points in three career NCAA Tournament games.
Gonzaga Bulldogs (3)
While the Horned Frogs struggle to pick up points, the Bulldogs make their return to the Second Round perched as the highest scoring team in the nation this season. However, the Zags were forced to return to fundamentals after being given a scare by the Antelopes, who seized the early lead and led by as many as 12 points before the Bulldogs roused from their slumber. With the Lopes defence causing them fits, and forcing eight first-half turnovers, the Zags decided to take them seriously after the break, sealing the win with a dominating 19-2 run that sealed the win. Anton Watson and Julian Strawther both enjoyed double-double performances and racked up a combined 25 rebounds while veteran Drew Timme bounced back from a frustrating first half to finish the game with 21 points. With the Zags’ offence firing on all cylinders, look for them to finally snap their losing streak at the sportsbooks.
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