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Jeremy Perry
Syracuse (11) vs. Texas Christian (6) Odds: March Madness Prediction
The Horned Frogs wrapped up its Big 12 calendar with back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Kansas State but is expected to advance against a Syracuse team that defeated Arizona State in a Wednesday play-in game.
NCAA Tournament Odds and Betting Analysis
The Horned Frogs have been one of the top cover teams when it comes to games at neutral sites, having made good in 13 of the past 17 occasions. TCU has also been a sensational bounce-back team of late, going 6-1-1 ATS in its previous eight games following a straight-up defeat. The Orange aren’t so bad themselves, having covered in 11 of their last 16 games vs. Big 12 teams while going 5-1 ATS in their previous six NCAA tournament outings.
The teams are trending in opposite directions from a totals perspective. Syracuse has finished below the number in six of its previous eight neutral-site games and is 3-8 O/U in its last 11 NCAA Tournament contests. The Horned Frogs have been one of the best over options in the nation this year, having gone 19-7 in their previous 26 games overall while exceeding the total in eight of their last 11 neutral-site outings.
Syracuse Orange
The Orange almost certainly won’t be able to keep up in a run-and-gun game – their 67.5 ppg scoring average ranks outside the top 300 nationally – but they do have a good enough defence to make things interesting. Syracuse is one of only 10 teams in all of Division I to hold foes to less than 40 percent shooting from the field (39.6), and they also finished in the top 10 in blocked shots per game (5.6) and percentage of blocks per opponent possession (9.9).
Texas Christian Horned Frogs
TCU (21-11 SU, 16-13-2 ATS, 21-10 O/U) provided some of the best entertainment of any team to reach the final 64; the Horned Frogs come into the tournament opener having averaged 83 points per game – tied for 19th nationally – while allowing nearly 76 per contest. Ball distribution was a trademark of the TCU offence, with the team finishing second in the country in assists per game (18.8) and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.48).
