Texas vs Colgate Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 16 NCAA Tournament Game (Back the Underdog in Des Moines)

Texas vs Colgate Game Info

• 2022-23 NCAA Tournament Game
• No. 7 Texas (26-8) vs. Colgate (26-8)
• Date: Thursday, March 16, 2023
• Time: 7:25 p.m. ET
• Venue: Wells Fargo Arena -- Des Moines, Iowa
• Coverage: TBS

The 2023 NCAA Tournament continues on Thursday with an exciting Round of 64 matchup between the No. 15 Colgate Raiders and No. 2 Texas Longhorns. Colgate is back in the Big Dance for the sixth time ever, while Texas is slated as a 2-seed for the first time since reaching the Elite Eight in 2008.

Colgate is coming off a 79-61 win over Lafayette in the Patriot League Championship, which was its ninth win in a row. Meanwhile, Texas took down Kansas by a score of 76-56 to capture the Big 12 title and earn its seventh win in its last 10 games.

Which team will advance with a victory on Thursday? Let's dive in.

Texas vs Colgate Odds & Spread

• All college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: TEXAS: (-1250) | COLGAT: (+740)
• Spread: TEXAS: -13.5 (-115) | COLGAT: +13.5 (-105)
• Total: 147.5 -- Over: (-115) | Under: (-105)

Texas enters this contest as a massive favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7:25 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 147.5 points, which is above average compared to Thursday's projected totals.

Texas vs Colgate Betting Trends

• Texas has covered the spread 17 times in 34 games.
• The Longhorns have an ATS record of 4-4 as 13.5-point favorites or more.
• Texas has played 34 games this season, and 16 of them have hit the over.
• Colgate has beaten the spread 17 times in 33 games.
• Out of Colgate's 33 games so far this year, 20 have gone over the total.

Texas Rank	Texas AVG		Colgate AVG	Colgate Rank
41st	77.8	Points Scored	78.6	31st
98th	67.4	Points Allowed	69	143rd
180th	31.8	Rebounds	31.1	229th
165th	8.7	Off. Rebounds	6.8	311th
210th	7.1	3pt Made	8.3	75th
19th	16.1	Assists	18.5	3rd
94th	11	Turnovers	9.7	20th

Texas vs Colgate Prediction & Pick

It's worth noting right off the bat that Texas forward Timmy Allen remains day-to-day with a lower leg injury after sitting out the Big 12 Championship. He is the Longhorns' leading rebounder (5.5 per game) and third-leading scorer (10.5 points per game). Watch for any health updates there.

Nevertheless, Texas has the depth to pick apart a Colgate defense that allows a shooting percentage of 45.5% (No. 266 in NCAA). Texas averages 77.9 points per game (No. 30 in NCAA) and dominates around the rim with a 53.8% two-point shooting percentage. It can build a solid lead inside the arc.

Texas has won each of its last five games as a favorite, so back the Longhorns with confidence here.

Final Score Prediction: Texas: 78 | Colgate: 68

Texas vs Colgate Best Bet

This is the best Longhorns team in years, but that doesn't change the fact that Texas has not won a first-round game by more than 13 points since 2008 (10 games). Colgate has a chance to keep this game within reach considering it ranks first in the country in three-point shooting percentage (40.9%).

The Raiders are a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven games played in March as well as 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall. They have lost a game by more than 13 points just twice this season despite playing through an out-of-conference schedule that included teams like Syracuse and Vermont.

Bet: Colgate Raiders +13.5 (-105)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.