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The TCU Horned Frogs take on the Utah Utes. Check out our college basketball odds series for our TCU Utah prediction and pick.
The Utah Utes played their best basketball game of the season against the best opponent they faced. The Arizona Wildcats could once again be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, just as they were this past season. Arizona has beaten Tennessee, Indiana, San Diego State, and Creighton. The Wildcats have done very well this year. They appear ready to challenge UCLA for the Pac-12 basketball championship. They have done almost everything right.
Almost.
The one team which not only solved Arizona, but frankly dominated the Wildcats, was Utah. The Utes pounded Arizona, 81-66, a few weeks ago. Branden Carlson and the rest of his Utah teammates controlled Arizona from start to finish, busting out to a solid lead and building it to 20 points in a magnificent performance which marked the first really big win for second-year Utah head coach Craig Smith. Utah entered that Arizona game very uncertain of what it could achieve. The Utes lost at home to Sam Houston State and also lost to Mississippi State. The Utes needed to prove they could be good … and they did.
Now their challenge is to show they can remain good and establish high-level consistency. They lost this past Saturday to BYU and need to be able to respond to the test TCU should provide.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the TCU-Utah College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: TCU-Utah Odds
TCU Horned Frogs: +1.5 (-110)
Utah Utes: -1.5 (-110)
Over: 140.5 (-114)
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Under: 140.5 (-106)
Why TCU Could Cover the Spread
The Utah offense comes and goes. The Utes played a lot of rockfights early in the season. Their losses to Sam Houston State and Mississippi State qualified as examples. Even when Utah beat Washington State in a Pac-12 Conference game earlier this month, the Utes couldn't hit shots with any regularity. They won with their defense and their ability to keep Washington State out of the paint. TCU prides itself on its defense under head coach Jamie Dixon. The Horned Frogs have skilled players, but they are very much an “effort” team which needs to get points and defensive stops from hustle plays and a general ability to outwork the opposition. Utah hasn't shown an ability to consistently generate offensive firepower. TCU can therefore undergo some scoring slumps in this game but stay close with its defense and then win with its rebounding and toughness down the stretch.
Why Utah Could Cover the Spread
The Utes are going to be very motivated after losing to BYU. They know they need some more quality wins in addition to the Arizona win in order to create an NCAA Tournament resume. Winning this game would make Utah a better-than-even shot to make the Big Dance. The Utes are extremely tough to beat in Salt Lake City when they are good. Ask Arizona about that. TCU is the second-best opponent the Utes have faced this season, but after beating the toughest team they have played in 2022, the Utes will certainly not be intimidated or thrown off guard by anything TCU brings to the table. The Horned Frogs have been better in recent weeks, but they were very shaky early in the season and have not played many true road games. They beat Iowa on a neutral floor and still have some questions surrounding them in games with partisan crowds rooting against them. This game is not on Utah's campus at the Huntsman Center. It is in Vivint Arena, the home of the Utah Jazz. Technically it's a neutral-site game, but it is essentially a road game for TCU. Utah can take control of this game in Salt Lake City.
Final TCU-Utah Prediction & Pick
The Utes showed how good they can be against Arizona. Though they aren't playing in the Huntsman Center, the Utes will still have a roaring crowd behind them. That will be enough to take care of TCU.
Final TCU-Utah Prediction & Pick: Utah -1.5
