LSU Tigers vs. TCU Horned Frogs Predictions, Picks, Odds

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Saturday’s showdowns in this season’s Big 12/SEC Challenge get underway with the No. 19 LSU Tigers on the road against the Texas Christian Horned Frogs. Game time from Ed and Rae Schnollmaier Arena is set for 12 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.

SCORE PREDICTION

TCU 64, LSU 60

BEST BETS

TCU +3.5 (-110) at Treasure Island

LSU TIGERS VS. TCU HORNED FROGS PREDICTIONS

The Tigers snapped a three-game skid with Wednesday’s six-point victory against Texas A&M as nine-point home favorites. Ahead of losing to Alabama and Tennessee as road underdogs, they came up short as 6.5-point home favorites in a seven-point loss to Arkansas on Jan. 15. LSU is 16-4 straight-up overall and an even 4-4 in SEC play.

TCU has been a tough team to figure out in the Big 12. At 3-3 in conference play, it recently followed up an impressive 15-point upset over Iowa State as a six-point road underdog with a no-show against Texas on Tuesday night in a 23-point loss at home as a 2.5-point underdog. The Horned Frogs are 13-4 SU overall with a 7-2 record in nine previous home games.

These teams have never faced one another before which could play in favor of the home team. LSU should win this game as the better overall team on paper, but injury concerns, inconsistent play and matchup issues create an opportunity to bet on TCU to come out on top in the final score.

LSU TIGERS VS. TCU HORNED FROGS BETTING ODDS

LSU -3 (-110)
TCU +3 (-110)
Over 124 (-110)
Under 124 (-110)

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LSU TIGERS VS. TCU HORNED FROGS BETTING RESOURCES

Matchup: SEC vs. Big 12
Date: Saturday, January 29, 2022
Venue: Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
TV-Time: ESPN2 - 12:00 p.m. ET

LSU TIGERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

SU: 16-4
ATS: 14-6
O/U: 4-16

LSU went a perfect 12-0 SU in non-conference play before opening up its SEC schedule with a loss to Auburn. The Tigers have been up and down ever since with the .500 record in conference play. They have failed to cover against the spread in three of their last four games and the total has stayed UNDER in six of their last eight outings.

You will need to pay close attention to the latest injury report betting this game. Guard Xavier Pinson has missed playing time with a right knee sprain. Forward Darius Days is listed as questionable after missing his last game with an ankle injury. Pinson is the team’s third-highest scorer with 10.9 points and he leads the way in assists with 4.6 a game. Days has been the Tigers’ leading rebounder this season with 7.3 a game.

Forward Tari Eason and guard Brandon Murray will have to pick up the slack if those players can not go. Eason leads LSU in scoring with 15.9 points per game. He is also pulling down 7.2 rebounds. Murray (10.3 points) has been the team’s most consistent shooter. He is hitting 46% of his shots from the field.

The Tigers are averaging 73.2 PPG and shooting 44.3% from the field and 32.7% from three-point range. They are averaging a solid 39.7 rebounds with 12.1 a game on offense. LSU is holding opposing teams to just 58.4 PPG on defense.

TCU HORNED FROGS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

SU: 13-4
ATS: 9-6-2
O/U: 6-9-2

TCU failed to cover in Tuesday’s ugly loss to Texas. However, this was just its second ATS loss over the last 10 games. The total went OVER 122.5 points in the 73-50 loss after staying UNDER the closing line in the previous four games. The Horned Frogs have played their best ball this season at home as another plus for Saturday’s contest.

Guard Mike Miles has been TCU’s leading scorer this season with 15.4 PPG. However, he has also been one of the more inconsistent shooters on the team with a 36.7 field goal percentage. Forward Emanuel Miller is next on the list with a 10.1-point scoring average. He is the team’s leading rebounder averaging seven a game.

Both forward Chuck O’Bannon Jr. (9.5 points) and guard Damion Baugh (9.1 points) have been contributors on a TCU offense that is averaging 68.4 PPG. O’Bannon is shooting 45.6% from the field and Baugh is averaging a team-high 4.1 assists.

The Horned Frogs are not one of the top shooting teams in the Big 12. They have gone 42.5% from the field and 30.2% from three-point range. The free throw line has been another issue at times with a 66.3% conversion rate. TCU’s strengths include 41.5 rebounds a game and a defensive effort that is allowing 61.4 PPG.

**LSU has gone UNDER the point total in 16 of its last 20 games. (AP)**

INSIDE THE STATS - LSU TIGERS

Record: 16-4
VI Ranking: 24
PS/G: 73.2 (147th)
PA/G: 58.4 (7th)
ORtg: 101.9 (190th)
DRtg: 81.3 (1st)

INSIDE THE STATS - TCU HORNED FROGS

Record: 13-4
VI Ranking: 22
PS/G: 68.4 (262nd)
PA/G: 61.4 (26th)
ORtg: 100.2 (231st)
DRtg: 89.9 (25th)

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

LSU: Tari Easton - F (15.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg)
LSU: Darius Days - F (13.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg)
TCU: Mike Miles - G (15.4 ppg, 4 apg)
TCU: Emanuel Miller - F (10.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg)

LSU TIGERS VS. TCU HORNED FROGS BETTING CONCLUSION

Defense should remain on display in this matchup as each team’s biggest strength. This could also set up a play on the UNDER although the betting line has already been adjusted accordingly. The big concern for LSU is playing on the road at less than 100%. This opens the door for TCU to secure a big win for the Big 12.

LSU TIGERS VS. TCU HORNED FROGS BETTING TRENDS

LSU has gone UNDER in 16 of its last 20 games.
LSU has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five road games.
LSU has covered the spread in 12 of its last 16 games when playing as the favorite.
LSU has failed to cover the spread in two straight games.
TCU has covered the spread in four of its last six games when playing as the underdog.

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Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson