Horned Frogs and Lobos do Battle – TCU at New Mexico

BetOnline NCAA Basketball Odds: NEW MEXICO -15

Here are some of the NCAA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* TCU has covered one of its last nine games

* TCU has lost seven of its last eight games SU

* TCU has played six of its last eight games UNDER the total

* TCU has covered one of its last five road games

* TCU has lost five of its last six road games SU

* TCU has played five of its last six road games UNDER the total

* NMEX has covered ten of its last 15 games

* NMEX has won four of its last five games SU

* NMEX has played ten of its last 15 games UNDER the total

* NMEX has covered five of its last six home games

* NMEX has won its last six home games SU

* NMEX has played four of its last five home games UNDER the total

Also…

* NMEX has won six of the last nine meetings SU

* Seven of the last eight meetings have gone UNDER the total

* NMEX has covered four of the last five meetings as the home team

* NMEX has won the last five meetings SU as the home team

* TCU has had the rebounding edge in five of the last seven meetings

* NMEX has made more three-pointers in five of the last six meetings

Coach Billy Christian (no relation to Texas Christian) took over the job at TCU this year and got off to a very nice start. His team scored a few early wins over some decent programs, including Wichita State and Texas Tech (okay, we’re stretching it), as well as a conference win over UNLV. Things have really gone downhill for this team that headed into the conference schedule with at least some hopes of getting into the NIT (which would have constituted a major step forward).

TCU has lost seven of its last eight games, with the only win against Air Force, which is the Mountain West doormat. Truly competitive efforts in this period have been few. One of those losses came at the hands of these Lobos, and that happened in Fort Worth. The game broke a nine-game home winning streak for the Frogs, and no wonder, since the team shot just 37.5% , compared with 57% for New Mexico, and grabbed a total of only 19 rebounds.

In five of their last six conference home games, the Lobos have held their opponent to its lowest point total of the season. The latest victim was San Diego State, a possible NCAA tourney team that managed only 49 points on 37% shooting. We know that The Pit is a very difficult place to play to begin with, and one can’t imagine TCU being in the kind of shape where they can put forth a better showing than expect under the present circumstances.

We’re recommending New Mexico, the 15-point favorite in the BetOnline NCAA basketball online betting odds, but we’re doing it with a bit of trepidation, since that previous loss against the Lobos was TCU’s biggest margin of the season. Yes, the line is a little bloated, but there is really only one side here.

JAY’S PLAY: NEW MEXICO -15 *

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

(Charles Jay makes his share of shots from downtown as a contributor to the BetOnline Locker Room)