Texas vs. TCU Women: Picks, Predictions and Odds

Texas, the No. 1 seed in Regional 3, has not made the last four in nearly 40 years and they will be bidding to end that long drought when facing in-state rival No. 2 seed TCU.

The Longhorns, 34-3 and winners of 18 of their last 19 games, take on the Horned Frogs, also 34-3 and winners of 13 straight, on Monday at 7 PM in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Fifth-year coach Vic Schaefer’s Texas squad has reached the regional final in four of the last five years, including the past two, and they previously reached the last four in 1987 under Hall-of-Fame coach Jody Conradt. 

SEC Player of the Year and first-team All-American Madison Booker, who is averaging 19 points per game in the tournament, leads the way for Texas. 

She registered a team-high 17 points, to go with six rebounds, in a 67-59 victory over No. 5 seed Tennessee on Saturday. Taylor Jones added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Longhorns, followed by Jordan Lee with 13 points, and Bryanna Preston with 12 points. 

TCU hadn’t even made the tournament in 15 years, but coach Mark Campbell has quickly turned the Horned Frogs program around, leading them to their best season in school history that includes both the Big 12 regular season and conference tournament titles.

Hailey Van Lith, the Big 12 Player of the Year, leads a stable of transfers who have transformed the program’s fortunes. She scored 26 points and had nine rebounds as TCU upended Notre Dame on Saturday.

Sedona Prince had 21 points, six rebounds, and six blocks for TCU in that victory, while Madison Conner had 13 points. 

Who will come out on top in this all-Lone Star State regional final? See below for experts’ predictions.

Texas vs. TCU Women betting picks and predictions

TCU +7.5 (-110)

For the second straight contest, the Horned Frogs are an underdog of at least seven points. 

TCU easily covered the seven-point spread against Notre Dame in the regional semifinal and is 10-2 against ranked teams this season.

The only team to truly handle them was South Carolina, who beat the Horned Frogs by 33 in December, but Texas has lost to the Gamecocks twice this season as well, both times by at least 17 points.

Texas is 11-3 against ranked teams this year, so this matchup is just what should be expected for a regional final.

Although this contest will be billed as the two conference players of the year, Booker and Van Lith, going up against each other, the key factor in this game will most likely be Prince. Can the 6-foot-7 former Oregon Duck, one of the nation’s leading shot blockers, affect the game at both ends of the court?

More importantly, can either team crack the other’s stingy defense? Texas held Tennessee, one of the best scoring offenses in the nation, to 59 points — almost 30 points below its season average. And, Notre Dame was averaging more than 84 points coming into Saturday’s matchup with the Horned Frogs, but TCU held them to 62 points.

Either team is capable of moving on to the last four, but TCU looks capable of covering the 7.5-point spread.

Under 131.5 Total Points (-110)

Those stingy defenses should keep the total of this game Under 131.5 points.

Texas has only totaled an average of 119.5 combined points with its opponents the last two rounds, while TCU's three games have averaged just under 131 points combined.

This has the feel of an upper 50s, low 60s affair, enough to get close to the total, but the expectation is that this one stays Under 131.5.

Read more betting picks and predictions for College Basketball on site.

Texas vs. TCU Women odds

Texas	-350 ML
TCU	+275 ML
Spread	Texas -7.5
Total Points	O/U 131.5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.