TCU (9) vs. Duke (1) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Second Round Odds
No. 9 seed TCU had to withstand a furious rally to win its first-round matchup against #8 Ohio State, while top-ranked and top-seeded Duke had to stage one of its own versus #16 Siena.
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Duke Blue Devils NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
The Horned Frogs have now won 10 of their last 12. That includes a 7-1 straight-up and 6-2 against the spread mark in their last eight games. They are currently listed as 11-point underdogs against Duke on Saturday.
The Blue Devils were unable to cover the massive 28-point line as favourites against Siena. Duke is now 6-4 against the spread in its last 10 games. The game’s total is listed at 140 points. Neither team reached that total with their opponents in the first round, as the Under has cashed in six of TCU’s last nine contests and in 11 of Duke’s previous 16.
Texas Christian Horned Frogs
TCU jumped out to a double-digit lead of its own against No. 8 seed Ohio State. However, the game was knotted at 64 until Xavier Edmonds’ winning layup with 4.3 seconds left as the Horned Frogs advanced to the second round for the first time in three years.
They were led by David Punch, who averaged 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds this season, and Xavier Edmonds (12.6 PPG and 6.6 REB). Punch had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Edmonds had 16 points and eight rebounds. It was Punch who fed Edmonds for the winning layup. Micah Robinson made four three-pointers and scored a game-high 18 points to go with five rebounds.
The Horned Frogs only shot 40% from the field and 64% from the foul line, but they made 39% (9-for-23) from beyond the arc and only turned the ball over seven times. They need those last two numbers to remain the same while improving on the first two against Duke.
Duke Blue Devils
Cameron Boozer had 22 points and 13 rebounds as the Blue Devils withstood an incredible effort by 16th-seeded Siena, which led by double digits into the second half and did not relinquish the lead until late in the game. Cayden Boozer had 19 points in place of the injured Caleb Foster, followed by Isaia Evans with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Plenty of top seeds have been tested in the first round, but only two have ever lost it. Duke came dangerously close to becoming the third against a school that played four of its five starters every second of the game, with a fifth only coming out in the final seconds. The most glaring number for Duke is 19%. That’s what the Blue Devils shot (5-for-26) from three-point land against the Saints on Thursday. At the end of the day, Duke’s 18-6 made free throws advantage over Siena helped carry the day.
The team already knew what it was like playing without Patrick Ngongba II, who will miss his sixth straight game on Saturday. And Foster’s broken foot dropped the Blue Devils’ rotation down to seven itself in the win. Will that be enough against TCU?
March Madness Round 2 Prediction: Who Will Win TCU vs. Duke?
Duke was properly terrified of becoming part of tournament infamy. The Blue Devils won’t make that mistake in the second round.
Look for a woken-up squad to march past the Horned Frogs, 75-63.