TCU head coach Jamie Dixon will be coaching in his 15th career NCAA Tournament when the No. 9 seed Horned Frogs take on the No. 8 seed Utah State Aggies in the first round of the Midwest Region of March Madness 2024 on Friday. TCU had an up-and-down regular season, but has the firepower and athleticism to make a potential Cinderella run. The Horned Frogs notched regular season wins over Houston (No. 1 seed in the South) and Baylor (No. 3 seed in the West). Dixon's squad will face a tough test in Utah State, who went 27-6 during the regular season, winning the Mountain West regular season title in the process. The Aggies are led by Mountain West Player of the Year Great Osobor.
Tipoff is 9:55 p.m. ET in Indianapolis. The latest TCU vs. Utah State odds via SportsLine consensus list the Horned Frogs as 3.5-point favorites, while the over/under is 149.5, up three points from the opening line. Before making any Utah State vs. TCU picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer simulation 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 Utah State vs. TCU and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for TCU vs. Utah State:
- Utah State vs. TCU spread: TCU -3.5
- Utah State vs. TCU over/under: 149.5 points
- Utah State vs. TCU money line: Utah State +150, TCU -180
- TCU: The Horned Frogs are 19-14 against the spread this season.
- USU: The Aggies are 14-15-2 against the spread this season.
- Utah State vs. TCU picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Utah State can cover
Sprinkle, who was hired away from Montana State before the season, led the Aggies on one of the more remarkable turnarounds in recent college basketball history. Utah State went 27-6 overall during the regular season, and was 5-5 against NCAA Tournament teams. The Aggies are experienced and one of the most efficient offensive teams in the March Madness field.
Osobor, who followed Sprinkle from Montana State, took home Mountain West Player of the year honors after averaging 18.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. His supporting cast includes Ian Martinez (13.1 ppg), Darius Brown II (12.4 ppg), and Mason Falslev (11.4 ppg). The Aggies went 2-0 against top-25 opponents this season. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why TCU can cover
The Horned Frogs spent a big chunk of the regular season on the NCAA Tournament bubble. TCU ultimately did enough to earn a spot in the March Madness field, and Dixon's team has the talent and explosive athleticism to make things difficult on its opponents. The Frogs flashed their high-end potential in regular season wins over Houston and Baylor.
TCU went 19-14 against the spread this season. Dixon will lean heavily on forward Emanuel Miller, who has NBA potential, and guard Jameer Nelson Jr., son of former NBA point guard Jameer Nelson Sr.. Miller leads the team in scoring (15.9 ppg) and rebounds (5.9 rpg), while Nelson averages 11.3 points, 3.3 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
How to make TCU vs. Utah State picks
The model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 150 points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Utah State vs. TCU, and which side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations? 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, and find out.
