The West Virginia Mountaineers travel to Texas to play the TCU Horned Frogs in a Saturday afternoon matchup set to tip off on Peacock at 4:00 p.m. CT. Both teams are fighting to reach the NCAA Tournament, and whichever team wins is going to be a heck of a lot closer to the Field of 68 than the loser. Both programs are 16-10 overall, but West Virginia has the slight edge in conference play with a 7-6 record as opposed to TCU’s 6-7. Here’s a preview, prediction, key storylines, and updated odds to keep an eye on in this matchup as we get set for today’s game.
TCU vs. West Virginia Basketball Odds
The TCU Horned Frogs currently sit as 5.5-point favorites, with an over/under total points set at 131.5 total points.
Key Storyline: Must-Wins for Both
As I noted earlier, both West Virginia and TCU are likely going to be hovering around the bubble come Selection Sunday. The Mountaineers were in the driver’s seat heading into last week’s game against Utah, but fumbled in the worst way possible, losing to a team that’s just 1-11 in conference play. That won’t look good on the resume, and suffering a loss to TCU in a two-game slide wouldn’t either. TCU and West Virginia both need this game desperately, and unfortunately, there can only be one winner.
Match Up to Watch: West Virginia Offense vs. TCU Defense
Here’s the thing, by no means is TCU an elite defensive team this season. In fact, they are perfectly average, allowing the eighth-most (or fewest depending on how you view it) points to opponents per game with 72.5. That said, West Virginia’s offense is actually the worst in the Big 12 Conference. Ross Hodge’s group is averaging just 69.6 points per contest, and they are the lone league member averaging less than 70. Will that change today?
Prediction: TCU 73, West Virginia 66
While this game could go a lot of different ways, the offensive attack for West Virginia feels like too much of an issue to overcome. The Mountaineers will need to score. I don’t think Jamie Dixon’s group is going to let that happen, especially in a must-win game. Look for the Horned Frogs’ front court to have a big day with an added spotlight on David Punch.
