Teams that haven't played one another in over 70 years renew acquaintances when the 10th-seeded Colorado State Rams battle the seventh-seeded Texas Longhorns on Thursday in an NCAA Tournament first-round matchup. The Rams (24-10), who have won five of their past six games, defeated Virginia 67-42 in a First Four matchup on Tuesday. The Longhorns (20-12), who have won three of five, are making their 38th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, including their 22nd in the last 25 NCAAs. Texas leads the all-time series 2-0, but the last meeting with Colorado State was a 63-46 win on Dec. 15, 1952.
Tipoff from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., is set for 6:50 p.m. ET. The Longhorns are 3-point favorites in the latest Colorado State vs. Texas odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 143.5. Before making any Texas vs. Colorado State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Texas vs. Colorado State. You can head to SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Colorado State vs. Texas:
- Texas vs. Colorado State spread: Texas -3
- Texas vs. Colorado State over/under: 143.5 points
- Texas vs. Colorado State money line: Colorado State +133, Texas -157
- CSU: The Rams have hit the first-half game total under in 23 of their last 31 games (+13.60 units)
- TEX: The Longhorns have hit the game total over in 22 of their last 34 games (+8.80 units)
- Texas vs. Colorado State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Texas can cover
Junior guard Tyrese Hunter is one of four Longhorns averaging 10 or more points this season. In 31 games, all starts, Hunter is averaging 11.1 points, 4.2 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 31.8 minutes. In the season finale, a 94-80 win over Oklahoma, he scored 30 points, while dishing out seven assists. He had 21 points and three assists in a 75-73 win over Baylor on Jan. 20.
Sophomore Dillon Mitchell has reached double-digit scoring in each of the last two games. In the second-round Big 12 Tournament loss to Kansas State, Mitchell scored 13 points, while grabbing six boards and adding two assists. He had 14 points, two rebounds and two assists in a win over Oklahoma on March 9. He scored a season-high 21 points with eight rebounds in an 81-71 loss to UConn on Nov. 20. He has reached double-digit scoring eight times this year, and in 32 games, including 31 starts, he is averaging 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and one steal in 29.3 minutes. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why Colorado State can cover
Senior guard Isaiah Stevens helps power the Rams. Entering Tuesday's First Four matchup with Virginia, he had reached double-digit scoring in 10 consecutive games, including a 29-point performance in an 82-73 win at Air Force on March 9. He registered his fifth double-double of the season in a 72-62 Mountain West first-round win over San Jose State on March 13. In that game, he scored 11 points, while dishing off 10 assists.
Senior forward Joel Scott has been dominant over the past 10 games. In the 74-61 loss to New Mexico in the Mountain West Tournament semifinals, he scored 20 points, while grabbing eight rebounds and blocking two shots. He registered his second double-double of the season in Tuesday's First Four win over Virginia, scoring 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
How to make Colorado State vs. Texas picks
The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 149 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Texas vs. Colorado State, and which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that is 29-19 on top-rated college basketball spread picks this season.
