TCU, the No. 9 seed from the Midwest Region, will take on No. 8 Utah State on Friday night in Indianapolis.
The Aggies (27-6, 14-4 MWC) were the regular-season champion from the Mountain West Conference and have won eight of 10 entering the NCAA Tournament. Utah State is back in the tournament for the fourth time in the past five seasons but has not won a tournament game since 2001.
The Horned Frogs (21-12, 9-9 Big XII) are back in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season but have never won multiple tournament games.
This is the nightcap of a four games in Indy, and the winner will play either Purdue or Grambling in the second round. Here’s how to bet on the game between the Aggies and Horned Frogs and how new users can take advantage of lucrative promos for March Madness.
No. 8 Utah State vs No. 9 TCU Odds
Odds current as of March 21.
- Spread: TCU -3.5 (-115, FanDuel) • Utah State +4 (-110, bet365)
- Moneyline: TCU (-178, FanDuel) • Utah State (+155, bet365)
- Total: Over 150.5 (-110, BetMGM) • Under 151 (-110, bet365)
Despite their superior record and seed, the Aggies are a clear underdog, which makes them a solid wager to consider with a new-user promo.
One of the top sports-betting platforms around the globe, bet365 Sportsbook has two terrific new-player offers for users to try their hand at. Simply use promo code LWOSBONUS then determine between:
- Bet $5, Get $150
- $1K First Bet Safety Net
Whichever offer you choose requires the bonus code and a minimum $10 deposit. Players can unlock $150 in bonus bets when they place an initial wager of at least $5, if they choose that offer.
But if you’re feeling daring, take your shot at a First Bet Safety Net up to $1,000. If your first bet fails you’ll get it reimbursed as a bonus bet.
Bonus bets expire within seven days. Bet and get bonus requires minimum -500 odds.
TCU vs Utah State Prediction
These are two of the top-50 offensive teams in the nation, according to KenPom, which means points should be plentiful. Utah State averages about 80 points per game and was eighth in the nation in field-goal percentage (.493).
The Horned Frogs average 79 points per game and was 63rd in the country in KenPom’s pace metric, which rates the number of possessions per 40 minutes.
There could be nerves, since the teams will be waiting around all day to play. But given each side’s familiarity with the tournament, and the fact both sides are in the 100s in terms of points-against per game, this should be a very high-scoring game.
TCU vs Utah State Best Bet
Over 150.5 Points at BetMGM Sportsbook (-110)
This is a high bar to clear, but these teams score in bunches. Both sides tend to score with two-pointers and are among the most efficient teams in the nation — TCU is 19th in the nation in made 2s per game (19.8), and USU is 13th in the country in two-point field goal percentage (.573) — which means they shouldn’t be affected by a cold-shooting spell.
The Horned Frogs have scored at least 75 points in eight of their past 10 games, and the Aggies have done so in four of six. Plus, these teams are super-evenly matched, which means there’s a good chance this game will end up in overtime, which would lead to more points.
