It’s a clash of Big 12 programs on the hardwood as a pair of teams looking to pick up a victory collide in the Lone Star State. The BYU Cougars are on the road as they travel to tangle with the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday afternoon. BYU comes in off a 72-67 home loss to Texas Tech in their previous game Tuesday night, losing outright as a one-point favorite. TCU was beaten 65-46 on the road by #12 Houston in their previous game Monday night, failing to cover as an 18.5-point underdog. In the all-time series between the schools, the Cougars own a commanding 18-3 edge and have won the last 15 meetings. That includes an 87-75 home win in the most recent matchup on March 2, 2024.
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Who will win this matchup? Read more about this BYU vs. TCU prediction!
Cougars Seek to Beat Horned Frogs for 16th Straight Meeting
BYU dropped their second straight game as they were beaten at home by Texas Tech in their previous contest. The Cougars fell to 10-4 overall and 1-2 in the Big 12 on the year as they try to even their conference mark by beating TCU for the 16th straight time. Against Texas Tech, BYU led by as many as four in the first half and trailed by as many as four before settling for a two-point edge at the half. The Cougars led 53-48 with 8:20 remaining before giving up a 17-5 run to trail 65-58 with 3:01 to play. They couldn’t get closer than three the rest of the way en route to the loss. BYU shot 43.9% from the field, including five of 23 from three-point range, and missed nine of their 21 free throw attempts in the game. Foussenyi Traore led the Cougars with 14 points and five boards off the bench in the loss.
The Cougars are putting up 81.4 points a game so far this season, putting them 58th in the nation in scoring offense. BYU is grabbing 40.1 boards per game (29th) and dishes out an average of 17.3 assists a night, which is 27th in the country. The Cougars are very good on the defensive end of the floor as they are 56th in the nation with 66.1 points per game allowed this year. Richie Saunders leads the Cougars as he puts up 12.9 points per game. Egor Demin (11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, six assists), Kanon Catchings (10.4 points), Dawson Baker (8.6 points), Trevin Knell (9.9 points) and Foussenyi Traore (10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds) each provide a solid secondary scoring punch. Keba Keita, Dallan Hall, Mawot Mag, Mihailo Boskovic and Elijah Crawford are all key contributors for coach Kevin Young. BYU shoots 47.7% from the floor as a team. The Cougars sink 10.5 three-pointers per game (#21 in the nation) while shooting 35.4% from downtown. BYU is below average at the free throw line, sinking 68.7% of their chances this season.
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TCU Looking to Get On Track At Home
TCU suffered a second loss in three games as they were stifled on the road by #12 Houston Monday night. The Horned Frogs fell to 8-6 overall and 1-2 in the Big 12 as they try to get back in the win column at home. Against Houston, TCU trailed 9-0 just 2:37 into the game and never got even after that. The Horned Frogs were down seven at the half and got within three early in the second half while trailing by as many as 21 en route to the loss. TCU shot 42.6% from the field, including three of 18 from three-point range, and turned the ball over 19 times in the contest. Noah Reynolds led the Horned Frogs with 19 points in the loss.
On the year, TCU is sputtering on the offensive end of the floor as they are putting up an average of 70.5 points a night, putting them 285th in the nation in scoring offense. The Horned Frogs are pulling down an average of 35.4 rebounds per contest while dishing out an average of 13.4 assists (227th) a night. TCU has been above average on the defensive end of the floor as they allow an average of 65.6 points a contest, putting them 47th in scoring defense. Frankie Collins is second on the team with 11.2 points plus 4.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game on the season. Trazarien White (10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds), Vasean Allette (10.9 points) and Brendan Wenzel (eight points, 4.1 rebounds) are solid secondary scorers. Noah Reynolds (11.8 points, 3.5 assists), Ernest Udeh Jr., Micah Robinson, David Punch, Jace Posey and Isaiah Manning all have to do more offensively for Jamie Dixon’s squad. As a team, TCU is shooting 43.2% from the field (271st) on the year. The Horned Frogs are connecting on seven three-pointers a game while shooting 32.8% from beyond the arc. TCU has been lousy at the free throw line as they convert 63.9% of their attempts on the year, putting them 349th in the nation.
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Best Bets for BYU vs. TCU
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
Both teams are good defensively but BYU has a major edge on the offensive end of the floor this season. The Cougars are good on the glass and will force the Horned Frogs to defend the perimeter while limiting second-chance opportunities. TCU has been subpar on offensively, they don’t shoot the ball well and they are dismal at the charity stripe this season. The Horned Frogs are 8-0 at home but their best win was a four-point triumph over Xavier in early December. BYU takes advantage of their depth and offensive firepower to pick up their first road victory of the year in this contest.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
These teams are sound defensively. BYU is 75th in defensive efficiency, 146th in effective field goal percentage defense (49.7%), 92nd in forced turnover percentage (19.2%), second in allowed offensive rebounding percentage (21.7%) and 91st in field goal percentage defense (41.4%) this season. The Cougars are 198th in adjusted tempo by averaging 68.1 possessions a night. TCU is 23rd in defensive efficiency, 82nd in effective field goal percentage defense (47.9%), 119th in field goal percentage defense (41.9%) and 20th in three-point defense (28.5%) this season. The Horned Frogs are 223rd in adjusted tempo with 67.4 possessions per game this season. Look for the defenses to carry the load in this contest and hold the game under the total.
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