TCU vs Arizona prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball
12/30/2024 02:14 AM
It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a TCU-Arizona prediction and pick. Find out how to watch TCU-Arizona.
The Arizona Wildcats have to begin to get serious about this college basketball season. They are 6-5 through 11 games. They have lost the most important games on their schedule, to Duke, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and most recently to UCLA after having a 13-point lead on the Bruins midway through the second half. Arizona has a lot of problems, and there is a growing sense that this roster was not constructed very well by Tommy Lloyd, who had done a brilliant job of putting together previous U of A rosters in recent seasons. This time around, the pieces just aren’t fitting. Arizona’s offense remains way too dependent on one player, Caleb Love, who is mercurial and streaky. If Caleb Love is not hitting shots, Arizona’s offense is in real trouble. The loss of Oumar Ballo to the transfer portal and Indiana has been significant. Ballo was a steady force for the Wildcats in the middle of the paint, and that reliability is missed at both ends of the court.
Arizona struggles to score and struggles to put good possessions together. The offense was stuck against Duke and went through long periods of ineffectiveness and stagnation in the other losses it has suffered this season. Arizona needs to find a way to turn around its offense; that could turn around the whole season. With Big 12 Conference play revving up on Monday night — there are several conference games in the league on Dec. 30 — it’s time for Arizona to shift into high gear and play with the urgency worthy of a team which expects to make the NCAA Tournament every year but is currently 6-5. Arizona has to be able to crack the code and adjust to its limitations.
TCU is not much better than Arizona. The Horned Frogs are 7-4 through 11 games. They pulled off a good comeback win over Xavier but have not been particularly consistent in their own right. Coach Jamie Dixon enters this game with point guard Frankie Collins out for the remainder of the season. Collins was looked to as a core performer and a true pillar of the team. Not having him on the floor for Big 12 play is a huge blow to the Horned Frogs. We will all see what the adjusted lineup looks like in a conference game, and how well it can hang in against an Arizona team which will be out for blood.
Here are the TCU-Arizona College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: TCU-Arizona Odds
TCU: +15.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +920
Arizona: -15.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -1800
Over: 146.5 (-110)
Under: 146.5 (-110)
How to Watch TCU vs Arizona
Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN Plus
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why TCU Will Cover The Spread/Win
TCU is getting a ton of points against an Arizona team which is just 6-5. Should Arizona be favored by this many points against a Big 12 opponent? We don’t think so. Even though TCU is limited by injuries, the Horned Frogs still have good players. TCU thumped Montana State without Collins in its most recent game. That should matter in our evaluation of the Frogs. They’re 10 points worse than Arizona, not 17 or 18.
Why Arizona Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Frankie Collins injury will matter a lot for this game. Arizona’s defense can really put the squeeze on the TCU offense with Collins not on the floor.
Final TCU-Arizona Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to TCU, but we don’t know how severe the effects of the Collins injury will be on the Horned Frogs. Sit back and evaluate instead of betting on this one.
Final TCU-Arizona Prediction & Pick: TCU +15.5
The post TCU vs Arizona prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
