NCAA March Madness: Texas vs. Colgate betting preview, odds and predictions
In the 2 vs. 15 matchup in the Midwest region of the 2023 NCAA tournament, Texas takes on Colgate with a spot in the Round of 32 on the line. All tournament long, VSiN will be providing you with March Madness betting odds, in-depth team analysis and expert college basketball picks. Make us your one-stop shop for all of your betting needs.
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How to watch Texas vs. Colgate
When: Thursday, 7:25 p.m. ET
Where: Des Moines, Iowa
Watch: TBS
Odds for Texas vs. Colgate
Spread: Texas -14
Total: 147
(Odds accurate as of Sunday, March 12th at 11:00 p.m. ET)
Real-time betting splits at DraftKings Sportsbook
Midwest Region No. 2 Seed Texas
Texas battled through adversity early in the season, with head coach Chris Beard’s off-court issues leading to his firing. Rodney Terry has done a remarkable job filling in for the Longhorns, who were one of the hottest teams in basketball in the second half of the season. Only a few teams can say they’re more efficient than Texas offensively. The Longhorns have legitimate firepower in the backcourt in guards Marcus Carr, Sir’Jabari Rice and Tyrese Hunter. The team is deep with contributors, and this group can defend, too. Their victory over the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 Tournament final proves they can win this entire tournament.
Midwest Region No. 15 Seed Colgate
Colgate put a scare into the Wisconsin Badgers in their NCAA Tournament matchup last year, and nobody will be excited about facing the Raiders this season. This team isn’t just good offensively for a mid-major, it’s good offensively, period. Colgate is the best three-point shooting team in all of college basketball, and that’s going to make this group a threat to win any game it plays. The Raiders just need to find a way to lock in defensively, as they can struggle to guard the three-point line. That means they’re in danger of getting knocked out in any game in which they aren’t living up to their own shooting standards.
Texas vs. Colgate matchup analysis
We’ve seen pundits and prognosticators fit Colgate for glass slippers each of the last two years. Last year, Colgate lost by seven against Wisconsin and covered, but went down in the 14/3 matchup. Two years ago, Colgate lost by 17 to Arkansas, completely falling apart in the second half of the 14/3 game.
This year, Colgate comes in as the nation’s leader in 3P% after being second last year and third two years ago. The Raiders are going to have to light it up from distance against a Texas team that rolled through the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City. The Longhorns clubbed Kansas by 20 for an emphatic exclamation point in one of their best defensive performances of the season.
Texas fits the profile of a championship contender, as the Longhorns are a top-20 team in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency per Bart Torvik and Ken Pomeroy. They’ve also played a top-10 schedule. Colgate has played the 322nd-ranked schedule per Torvik and 335th per Ken Pom. Only Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Fairleigh Dickinson played weaker schedules.
The ball pressure from the Longhorns will be a story to watch in this game and throughout the tournament. Texas is 17th in TO% on defense at 22.8%. Colgate took great care of the ball throughout the season, but the Patriot League isn’t known for in-your-face defense. The elite shooting stats for the Raiders only matter if they have the ball and they’re likely to lose some possessions against the best defense they’ve seen all season.
Lastly, despite the awful schedule, Colgate is still a below average defense across the board. The Raiders are 257th in eFG%, 239th in 2P% defense and 234th in 3P% defense. Per KenPom, Colgate played the 336th-ranked slate of opposing offenses. Texas ranks 18th in adjusted offensive efficiency. The rising total on this game makes a ton of sense.
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