The No. 12 Kansas State Wildcats try to bounce back from a loss when they take on the No. 22 TCU Horned Frogs in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday in Kansas City, Mo.
Kansas State’s setback to West Virginia in the regular-season finale on Saturday left it in a tie for third place with Baylor in the Big 12 college basketball standings, though the Wildcats are the third seed in this tournament.
TCU is the sixth seed in the tournament and is also coming off a loss in the last game of the regular season, falling to Oklahoma and dropping to a tie for fifth place with Iowa State. Both of these NCAA basketball teams have a firm spot among the March Madness picks that will be made Sunday by the NCAA Tournament Committee, but let’s take a closer look at this game and make some TCU Horned Frogs vs Kansas State Wildcats picks for wagering.
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Kansas State Wildcats Odds
Despite the seeding for this tournament, as we’re looking at the NCAA basketball games today, it’s the Horned Frogs who are favored in this game, giving two points to the Wildcats. No matter which team you choose on a point-spread bet, you’ll be getting -110 odds.
If you’d prefer your NCAAB picks be on the moneyline, you can get TCU at -130 for a straight-up win, while Kansas State is listed at +110 to pull the upset. The over/under has been set at 146.5 points, with -110 odds available on either side of that wager.
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Kansas State Wildcats Matchup Information
TCU Horned Frogs vs Kansas State Wildcats
Location of the Game: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, MO.
Date and Time: Thursday, March 9, 2023, 9:30 PM ET.
How to Watch: ESPN2 | https://livestreamsports.co/
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Kansas State Wildcats Betting Preview
TCU Horned Frogs
One of the big reasons that the college basketball odds today are favoring the Horned Frogs is the presence of junior guard Mike Miles Jr. for TCU. Miles is averaging 17.2 points per game this season and has been one of the more dynamic college basketball players in the Big 12.
Senior guard Damion Baugh is another player the Horned Frogs are going to need a solid performance from in Thursday’s game. Baugh is averaging 13.0 points and a team-best 6.0 assists per game, and he had 24 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three steals in the team’s upset of Texas on March 1.
Senior forward Emanuel Miller will need to play big inside if the Horned Frogs are going to prove the NCAAB odds correct and get a win in this one. Miller is averaging 12.8 points and 6.5 rebounds this season, but he upped that production to 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest in two matchups with Kansas State.
Kansas State Wildcats
One of the reasons the Wildcats are one of the favorite college basketball picks to do well in March Madness is the play of senior forward Keyontae Johnson. The Florida transfer has been outstanding in his first season with Kansas State, averaging 17.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 42.4% from the 3-point line.
Senior guard Markquis Nowell is another big reason why your TCU Horned Frogs vs Kansas State Wildcats picks may include an upset. Nowell is averaging 17.0 points and is third in the country with 7.7 assists per game. Nowell has averaged 17.7 points and 9.0 assists of the last four games on the Wildcats’ NCAAB schedule.
The third double-digit scorer for the Wildcats this season has been forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who is scoring 10.2 points per game. The 6-10 junior has been in a bit of a slump of late, scoring in single digits in four of the last five games, but he did have 19 points in a win over Oklahoma on March 1.
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Kansas State Wildcats Betting Picks
These are two even teams, with the season series tied at one win apiece as the home team came out on top each time. The college basketball injury report won’t be a factor in your TCU Horned Frogs vs Kansas State Wildcats picks either, as both teams are healthy heading into this contest.
We like the Kansas State Wildcats to pull off the mild upset, though by seedings, it wouldn’t be an upset. We’re also going with the over, as both of these teams have some firepower and should be able to put some points on the board throughout this game.
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