Texas vs. Colgate: 2023 NCAA Tournament Odds, Preview & Predictions
March Madness is officially here! The 2023 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Letâs take a look at the early odds, preview, and predictions for the 2023 NCAA Tournament Round 1 game: Texas vs. Colgate.
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2023 March Madness Odds, Preview & Predictions: Texas vs. Colgate
Texas vs. Colgate Odds, Spread & Match Up Overview
- Texas Spread: -13.5
- Colgate Spread: +13.5
- Texas Moneyline: -2500
- Colgate Moneyline: +1000
- Game Over/Under: 148.5
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Texas 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
If youâre seeking a president for the âcould win it all but could also lose in the first roundâ club, Texas should be a nominee. It was unclear how the Chris Beard saga would impact the Longhorns, and it seems like the impact was undersold. From the time Beard was let go up until March 1, Texas went 15-7 while ranking 21st in the nation, per Bart Torvik. Now that isnât terrible, but it isnât the elite level youâd hope for from this Texas squad. Rodney Terry has done a solid job with the position he was thrown into, but there is a reason he was an assistant. Terry coached Fresno State to a tourney appearance in 2016, but he doesnât have much experience in March otherwise.
That said, Texas is an all-around deadly team capable of making waves in the Big Dance. Ranking in the top 30 in both offensive and defensive efficiency is a solid recipe for success, and Texas is one of the few teams cooking that up. Marcus Carr, Timmy Allen, and Sir Jabari Rice form an athletic three-headed monster for Texas, and it still feels like they havenât reached their ceiling. Carr and Rice are effective perimeter shooters, and all three players bring plenty of experience to the tournament for Texas. The Longhornsâ fast-paced play and effective interior scoring mean they have the ability to post 100-point games.
This team is two different squads inside and outside of Austin, ranking outside the top 250 in away-from-home play, per Haslametrics. In their one neutral-site nonconference game, the Longhorns fell to Illinois in overtime, so the sample size is small, but this team sometimes seemed cursed, with just one win in its last four tournament appearances. Still, this Texas team is different from Longhorns squads past because of an improved offense. Texas failed to eclipse 60 points only once this season. That is remarkably impressive in a conference such as the Big 12. The Longhorns donât exactly take great looks, ranking in the bottom 300 in rim-and-three rate, but their athleticism can power them past almost any team in the tournament.
All in all, this team is a big olâ question mark to me. Seeing Texas cut down the nets in April wouldnât surprise me, but seeing the Longhorns fall in the first round (again) wouldnât be shocking, either. Rodney Terry has a tall task ahead of him, so it will be interesting to see if he is able to turn this programâs reputation around.
Colgate 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
Colgate does one thing very well: shoot from deep. Ranking first in the nation with a near-41 percent success rate on three-pointers, this offense can light it up. Colgate showed how dangerous it could be when it beat Syracuse 80-68 earlier this season.
Oliver Lynch-Daniels has a silky-smooth shot and has made 50.3% of his three-pointers this season to lead the nation. The Raiders ran their way through the Patriot League with only a single loss on the road by one point. Each of their Patriot League Tournament games resulted in double-digit wins â theyâre playing their best basketball at the right time. Even if Colgate isnât hot from deep, it scores at a top-10 rate from inside the arc and takes care of the ball incredibly well.
Colgateâs glaring weakness is its defense, which ranks outside the top 200. But the Raiders rebound well and are great at avoiding fouls. A matchup against a defensive-based team that depends on the dribble drive and getting to the charity stripe offensively might be a recipe for a Colgate upset.
Round 1 & First Four Betting Picks & Predictions
South
- #16 Texas A&M-CC vs. #16 Southeast Missouri St. (First Four)
- #8 Maryland vs. #9 West Virginia
- #5 San Diego St. vs. #12 Charleston
- #4 Virginia vs. #13 Furman
- #6 Creighton vs. #11 NC State
- #3 Baylor vs. #14 UC Santa Barbara
- #7 Missouri vs. #10 Utah State
- #2 Arizona vs. #15 Princeton
East
- #8 Memphis vs. #9 Florida Atlantic
- #5 Duke vs. #12 Oral Roberts
- #4 Tennessee vs. #13 Louisiana
- #6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence
- #3 Kansas State vs. #14 Montana State
- #7 Michigan State vs. #10 USC
- #2 Marquette vs. #15 Vermont
West
- #1 Kansas vs. #16 Howard
- #8 Arkansas vs. #9 Illinois
- #5 Saint Maryâs vs. #12 VCU
- #4 UConn vs. #13 Iona
- #11 Arizona State vs. #11 Nevada (First Four)
- #3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Grand Canyon
- #7 Northwestern vs. #10 Boise State
- #2 UCLA vs. #15 UNC Asheville
Midwest
- #1 Houston vs. #16 Northern Kentucky
- #8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn
- #5 Miami vs. #12 Drake
- #4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State
- #11 Mississippi State vs. #11 Pitt (First Four)
- #3 Xavier vs. #14 Kennesaw State
- #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Penn State
- #2 Texas vs. #15 Colgate
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