South Alabama Jaguars vs TCU Horned Frogs NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/16/24

The Jaguars and Horned Frogs are set to face off at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The Horned Frogs will host the game at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, TX. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 138 points, and TCU is favored by -12.5 at home against South Alabama.

SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS VS TCU HORNED FROGS BETTING PICK

The Pick: South Alabama Jaguars +12.5

This game will be played at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena at 8:00 ET on Monday, December 16th.

WHY BET THE SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 79-68 in favor of the Horned Frogs.
• Even though we have TCU winning straight-up, we like South Alabama at +12.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 138 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.

Is A Road Victory Likely for Underdog South Alabama?

South Alabama improved to 6-3 on the season with an 81-72 road win over East Texas A&M on Sunday. The Jaguars entered the game as 8-point favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game reached 153, surpassing the pre-game O/U line of 135.5.

South Alabama led 38-32 at halftime and scored 43 points in the 2nd half while allowing 40. Their ability to maintain their lead and cover the spread was key in this matchup.

South Alabama put up 81 points in their last game, shooting 51.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 59.3%. They connected on 45% of their threes, going 9-for-20, and hit 55.9% of their two-point attempts.

At the free-throw line, the Jaguars struggled, making just 55.2% of their 29 attempts. They dished out 18 assists and grabbed 8 offensive rebounds. Myles Corey led the way with 27 points and 5 assists, while Yusef Salih and Khaliq Abdul-Mateen each added 17 points, with Salih hitting 5-of-8 threes.

South Alabama’s defense gave up 72 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 48% from the field, hitting 24 of 50 shots. They were particularly effective from beyond the arc, knocking down 17 of 37 three-point attempts for a 45% success rate.

From the free-throw line, the opposition went 7 for 11, shooting 63%. South Alabama allowed 7 offensive rebounds in the game.

Will TCU Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

TCU’s season record dropped to 5-4 after an 83-74 loss to Vanderbilt on Sunday. The Horned Frogs were +2.5 point underdogs going into the game and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game hit 157, surpassing the O/U line of 149.5.

TCU trailed 41-38 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 36 points while allowing 42. The Horned Frogs will look to tighten up defensively as they move forward.

TCU’s offense put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 49% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 58.8%, thanks to hitting 10 of 17 from beyond the arc, also at 58.8%. They struggled at the free-throw line, connecting on just 14 of 26 attempts for 53.8%.

Jason Edwards led the way with 30 points, shooting 50% overall, though he was just 1 of 4 from three. Brendan Wenzel was perfect from deep, hitting all 3 of his attempts, and finished with 11 points on 3 of 3 shooting overall.

TCU struggled defensively, allowing 83 points on 49% shooting from the field. The Horned Frogs gave up 10 threes, with their opponent hitting 58% from beyond the arc.

They sent their opponent to the line 26 times, where they converted 14 free throws. TCU limited second chances, giving up 7 offensive rebounds.