The No. 1-ranked Arizona Wildcats have begun their Big 12 schedule 2-0 and are now in Fort Worth, Texas, to play the TCU Horned Frogs at 4:00 p.m. ET. Arizona has a perfect 15-0 record while TCU is 11-4 on the season. Arizona and TCU are 2-2 against each other, but the Wildcats have won the last two meetings. This is Arizona’s first game against TCU in Texas since December 1952.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Arizona is a -6.5-point favorite with TCU being +245 to win the game outright. Here is my best bet for today’s Arizona vs. TCU college basketball matchup.
Arizona vs. TCU (4:00 p.m. ET)
Arizona is ranked No. 3 on KenPom with the fourth-best defensive rating and seventh-best offense rating. TCU, on the other hand, has the 24th defensive rating but just the 92nd offense rating.
The Wildcats’ top two scorers are Brayden Burries (15.1 PPG) and Koa Peat (14.4 PPG), both of whom are among the best freshmen in the country. Arizona’s next three impact players are veterans Jaden Bradley (13.4 PPG), Motiejus Krivas (11.3 PPG), and Tobe Awaka (9.9 PPG). Krivas and Awaka combine to make one of the best frontcourts in college basketball. Awaka leads Arizona in rebounding with 10.3 boards per contest, while Krivas is second with 8.3. Burries is in the midst of an elite stretch, scoring 18.8 points a game in Arizona’s last 10 games.
TCU is coming off a four-point loss to Kansas in overtime. Before that, TCU won six straight games. David Punch leads the Horned Frogs in scoring with 14.4 points along with 7.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 1.9 assists per contest. TCU only averages 80.9 points per game, which is 10th in the Big 12.
Arizona has won 10 consecutive games by at least 18 points. Their last close win was by three points against UConn on November 19. The Wildcats have started their Big 12 schedule with a 19-point win over Utah and a 25-point victory against Kansas State. Even though TCU’s last three losses to high-major teams have been by four points or fewer, it is still surprising to see Arizona favored by only 6.5 points. That is because Arizona is dominating everyone in front of them and separates itself with its elite depth and versatility. I’m taking Arizona -6.5, and until someone shows they can keep up with the Wildcats, it is likely they continue to roll.
