Utah Runnin’ Utes vs TCU Horned Frogs NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/15/25
Betting on today’s Runnin’ Utes and Horned Frogs game? Catch the action at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, TX, as the Horned Frogs hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. This Big 12 conference matchup has an over/under of 144.5 points, and TCU is favored to win by -4 at home vs. Utah.
UTAH RUNNIN’ UTES VS TCU HORNED FROGS BETTING PICK
The Pick: TCU Horned Frogs -4
This game will be played at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena at 8:00 ET on Wednesday, January 15th.
WHY BET THE TCU HORNED FROGS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 79-68 in favor of the Horned Frogs.
- Not only will TCU pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -4.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 144.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Can Utah Secure a Road Victory?
Utah improved to 9-6 on the season with an 83-62 home win over Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Utes, who were -7.5 favorites, covered the spread with the victory.
Utah led 37-26 at halftime and added 46 points in the 2nd half while allowing 36. The total points for the game were 145, falling short of the 153.5 O/U line.
Utah’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 83 points on 55.6% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 61.1%, thanks to 61.5% shooting on two-pointers and 40% from beyond the arc.
The Utes dished out 23 assists, with Jake Wahlin and Bryce Thompson each contributing 3. Wahlin was perfect from the field, hitting all 5 of his shots, including 3/3 from three-point range. Ezra Ausar led the team with 21 points in just 18 minutes, shooting 58.3% overall.
Despite Utah’s defensive struggles, allowing 62 points on 55% shooting, they still managed to hold their opponent to just 6 offensive rebounds. The Runnin’ Utes gave up 24 two-point field goals on 39 attempts, with their opponent shooting 61% from inside the arc.
From three-point range, Utah’s defense allowed 6 threes on 15 attempts, with their opponent connecting at a 40% clip. The Runnin’ Utes also sent their opponent to the line 24 times, where they hit 17 free throws, good for 70%.
Can the Horned Frogs Please their Home Crowd?
TCU improved to 9-6 on the season with a 71-67 win over BYU on Saturday. The Horned Frogs were +2.5 point underdogs going into the game but managed to cover the spread with the victory.
TCU trailed 37-34 at halftime but held BYU to 30 points in the second half while scoring 37 of their own. The total points for the game ended at 138, just under the O/U line of 139.5.
TCU’s offense put up 71 points in their last game, shooting 42.4% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50.8%. They connected on 37.5% of their three-point attempts, hitting 9 of 24 from deep, and went 12 for 19 from the free-throw line, shooting 63.2%.
Richie Saunders led the way, scoring 26 points on 9 of 13 shooting, including 5 of 7 from three-point range. Noah Reynolds added 21 points, hitting 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, while Vasean Allette contributed 11 points and 5 assists, despite shooting just 1 of 6 from three.
Defensively, TCU held their opponent to 67 points on 42% shooting from the field. The Horned Frogs allowed 25 made field goals on 59 attempts.
TCU gave up 9 threes on 24 attempts, with their opponent shooting 37% from beyond the arc. They also sent them to the line 19 times, where they hit 12 free throws.