Kansas State vs. TCU Prediction: Lock in This Big 12 Tournament Pick

Kansas State vs. TCU Prediction: Lock in This Big 12 Tournament Pick

We are blessed with a third episode of TCU versus Kansas State, a battle between two offensive juggernauts. After a regular season split, TCU will be without their big man, Eddie Lampkin Jr., who quit the team yesterday. Will the Horned Frogs overcome adversity and advance in the Big 12 tournament, or will Lampkin’s absence be too big of a challenge to overcome?

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Kansas State vs. TCU Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds

• Date: Thursday, March 9, 2023
• Start Time: 9:30 pm ET
• Where to Watch: ESPN2

Click here for Kansas State vs TCU odds

Kansas State vs. TCU Prediction

It is still unclear why Lampkin stepped away from the team. He’s been posting about it on his social media; it seems like Eddie is still pulling for his boys.

Losing Lampkin is more of a loss in the locker room than on the court. I was down in Fort Worth not long ago watching JaKobe Coles outplay a hobbled Lampkin by a mile. I personally don’t think it’s much of a loss for the Frogs besides in the locker room; hopefully, this doesn’t come back to bite us.

Was anyone else shocked to see TCU open up as a favorite against the better-seeded Wildcats? What if I told you the line is moving toward TCU, with Kansas State being the biggest public dog of the day? Nearly 70% of bets and handles are pouring in on Kansas State, and that doesn’t include 75% of bets coming in on KSU moneyline (per VSIN). If all these wagers are backing Kansas State, why has the spread moved from -1.5 to -2.5 throughout the day? There must be sharp action backing TCU, especially considering the Lampkin news dropping.

When Kansas State destroyed TCU a month ago, the Frogs were missing their best player. Mike Miles Jr. hasn’t lost to the Wildcats this season and is coming off a solid 17-point performance. With the Frogs injecting Miles back into the lineup against their conference rival, he and Damion Baugh will prove too much to handle for the Wildcats suspect defense. Remember, it wasn’t just KSU who dropped an 82-piece on their opponent earlier this season. TCU spanked Markquis Nowell and Kansas State just as badly on their home floor in January.

These teams are almost identical in nearly every single statistical category except offensive rebounding. Even without Lampkin, the Frogs still have the rebounding advantage with JaKobe Coles and Xavier Cork. To be fair, Eddie lost the start job with Coles’ resurgence in the second half of the season. While many bettors overreact to the Lampkin news, buy the bad news, and back TCU to win this game even without their fan-favorite big man.

Kansas State vs. TCU Pick

TCU -1.5 (-120) Bet $100 to collect $183 FanDuel has the best odds; click here to bet