The Baylor Bears (10-3, 0-1 Big 12) welcome the No. 16 TCU Horned Frogs (12-1, 0-1 Big 12) to Ferrell Center as they look to extend their five-game home winning streak. Baylor opened as a 1.5-point favorite, while the games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 148.5 points. Action begins at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 2, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPNews.
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Baylor Bears ATS Preview
In the Horned Frogs last contest, they lost a tough one against the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners, 90-89. TCU’s Kenrich Williams had a good game, leading the team in scoring with 22 points on 5-for-15 shooting. Oklahoma did an excellent job of getting and making free throws (22-31; 71.0 percent). TCU, meanwhile, had a turnover percentage of 8.4 (better than their season average of 15.9).
The Bears are hoping for a better outcome after their 77-53 loss to the No. 22 Texas Tech Red Raiders in their last contest. Mark Vital led Baylor in scoring with 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting. Texas Tech had an offensive rebounding percentage of 53.6 (above their season average of 33.8). Baylor, on the other hand, forced the Red Raiders into a turnover percentage of 19.7 (above their season average of 15.2).
It might turn into a high-scoring affair as a pair of the nations top offenses battle. Baylor ranks 24th with 117.6 points per 100 possessions and TCU is 13th (120.3).
These two teams are complete opposites in terms of the O/U total. TCU games have finished over 66.7 percent of the time, while games including Baylor have gone under 66.7 percent of the time. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Horned Frogs have a substantial advantage. They are 12-1 SU and 6-6 ATS, while the Bears are 10-3 SU and 3-3 ATS.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after the Bears won both meetings last season. In the last matchup, Baylor won 70-52. The Bears offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest advantage over the Horned Frogs. Baylor had a rate of 40.7, while TCU posted a mark of 28.6.
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Baylor Bears ATS Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – TCU, ATS Winner – TCU, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Bears average 20.6 three pointers per game, which ranks 192nd in the nation. The Horned Frogs rank 220th in three pointers allowed per game (24.7).
- TCU ranks third in rebounds allowed per game (29.0) while Baylor ranks 22nd (30.8).
- On the road, TCU is 2-1 ATS with 2 overs and 1 under.
- At home, Baylor is 1-1 ATS with 1 over and 1 under.
- Baylor ranks 31st in assists per game (17.4) while TCU ranks 226th in assists allowed per game (16.5).
- The Bears rank 26th in steals allowed per game (5.0) while the Horned Frogs rank 77th (5.9).
- Baylor ranks 32nd in blocks per game (5.2) while TCU ranks 80th (3.8).
Bettings Trends:
- Baylor is 1-1 ATS with 1 over and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, TCU is 2-2 ATS with 3 overs and 1 under.
- The Bears average margin of victory in their last five games has been 16.4, up from 14.1 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Horned Frogs have scored an average of 88.8 points per game (1.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 80.0 points per game (6.1 above their season average).
