The TCU Horned Frogs play the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is set for 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS.
Ohio State is favored by -2.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -144. Meanwhile, TCU is the underdog at +2.5 with a moneyline of +120. The total is set at 146.5 points.
Here’s my TCU vs. Ohio State prediction and college basketball picks for March 19, 2026.
TCU vs Ohio State Prediction
My Pick: Over 146.5
My TCU vs Ohio State best bet is on the over. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
TCU vs. Ohio State Odds
| TCU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 146.5 -105o / -115u | +120 |
| Ohio State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 146.5 -105o / -115u | -144 |
- TCU vs Ohio State spread: Ohio State -2.5
- TCU vs Ohio State over/under: 146.5 points
- TCU vs Ohio State moneyline: TCU +120, Ohio State -144
TCU vs Ohio State College Basketball Betting Preview
TCU Basketball
At one point in the season, TCU was 13-9 overall and coming off a 26-point loss at Colorado. Since then, they're 9-2 with wins over Iowa State and Texas Tech.
The Horned Frogs are a physical team on both ends, ranking 14th in offensive rebounding percentage in their last 11 games while having a top-25 defense all season.
Junior forward Xavier Edmonds was named All-Big 12 Third Team, averaging 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 57% from the field, 41% from three.
Through the first 18 games of the season, Edmonds recorded zero double-doubles. Over the last 15 games, he has 11, including his 20 points and 12 rebounds at Texas Tech.
He is a capable three-point shooter (21/51), but his game is getting to the rim, where he is shooting 69%.
Sophomore forward David Punch leads the team in scoring at 14.3 points per game and was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
Punch had an outstanding Big 12 Tournament. He averaged 25 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3 blocks on 59% from the field.
During the regular season, Punch scored 20 or more just five times, so for him to find another level going into March Madness is huge for TCU.
Collectively as a defense, they cause havoc for opposing offenses. They rank 31st in turnover rate (19.7%) and 32nd in block rate (12.6%).
Punch leads the team with 2 blocks per game and is one of five TCU players who average at least one steal per game.
Ohio State Basketball
Ohio State is an intriguing 8-seed. Though they are 6-4 in their last 10 games, Bart Torvik has them ranked as the 16th-best team in the country over that span.
On the season, they're ranked 17th in offensive efficiency, 18th in effective field goal percentage, 19th in two-point percentage, 21st in free-throw percentage, and shoot 36% from three.
Senior guard Bruce Thornton was named All-Big Ten Second Team, averaging 20.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
Thornton is one of the most efficient scorers in college basketball. His points per possession rank, via Synergy, is in the 90th percentile or better in five separate categories (min. 10 FGA).
The best being his ability to score as the ball-handler out of the pick-and-roll, where he ranks in the 98th percentile, shooting 56% from the field.
As a spot-up shooter, he ranks in the 96th percentile, where he shoots a ridiculous 49% from three.
6'1 guard John Mobley Jr. is the team's second leading scorer, who has a flamethrower coming out of his arm, shooting 42% from three on 7.5 attempts per game.
Mobley is at his best off a catch-and-shoot three, where he shoots 45.7% on 151 attempts. Where he can get into trouble is when he puts the ball on the floor and decides to shoot a three or finish at the rim. On threes off the dribble, he is shooting 32.9%, and around the rim, he is shooting 48% on 50 attempts.
TCU vs Ohio State Betting Analysis
This is my favorite 8/9 matchup in the tournament.
Two teams that are playing good ball but are the opposite of each other.
Though TCU's defense can cause havoc with their aggressiveness, they can also get burned when their aggressiveness backfires.
Ohio State is an offense that has been battle tested throughout Big 10 play and has a scorer that is more than capable of scoring against any defense thrown his way.
The Buckeyes have the 14th most efficient offense in the country in their last 10 games and are up for the challenge against TCU.
As for TCU, they've been in some shootouts, even with a solid defense, scoring 95 points against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament and scoring 100 points earlier this year at Kansas.
Give me some high-level ball with some high scoring.
My Pick: Over 146.5
