Nevada vs TCU Basketball Prediction & Picks: Wolf Pack, Horned Frogs Duel in Diamond Head Classic Semis

The championship game of the Diamond Head Classic will take place in Honolulu on Sunday, but the two best teams in the eight-team field will meet today. In the first semifinal, Kenan Blackshear and Nevada will take on Emanuel Miller and TCU (5:00 pm ET, ESPNU).

The winner of the matchup between the Wolf Pack (10-1) and Horned Frogs (9-1), both of whom received votes in this week’s AP and Coaches polls, will face the winner of the second semifinal between Georgia Tech and Hawaii (11:00 pm ET, ESPN2) in Sunday’s title tilt at the Stan Sheriff Center (8:30 pm ET, ESPN).

The team that emerges from this semifinal showdown will be favored and expected to capture the championship, and both of these teams will feel confident about doing so based on their play thus far this season.

Picks in this piece are courtesy of Bovada. At Bovada, you can get great odds on all of the top college basketball matchups every day.

Nevada’s lone loss is to Drake, who is off to an 11-1 start, while TCU’s lone loss is to Clemson, who is 9-1 and ranked in the top 20 in both polls.

So, we should be in for a good game to start the day’s Diamond Head Classic action, which also features matchups between Temple and Old Dominion (7:30 pm ET, ESPN+) and UMass and Portland (1:00 am ET, ESPN2).

Nevada vs TCU Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada. If you’re interested in trying them out, we recommend checking out our Bovada review.

Spread

• Nevada +2 (-110)
• TCU -2 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 149 (-110)
• Under 149 (-110)

Last Five Games for Nevada

• (Honolulu, HI – Diamond Head Classic) vs Temple (12/21): won 80-56
• at Hawaii (12/17): won 72-66
• vs Weber State (12/13): won 72-55
• (Henderson, NV – Jack Jones Classic) vs Drake (12/9): lost 72-53
• vs UC Davis (12/6): won 80-68

Last Five Games for TCU

• (Honolulu, HI – Diamond Head Classic) vs Old Dominion (12/21): won 111-87
• (Coast-to-Coast Challenge) vs Arizona State (12/16): won 79-59
• (Toronto – Hall of Fame Series) vs Clemson (12/9): lost 74-66
• at Georgetown (12/2): won 84-83
• vs Houston Christian (11/27): won 101-64

Top Players for Nevada

• Jarod Lucas: 16.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG
• Kenan Blackshear: 15.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.6 APG
• Nick Davidson: 11.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG
• Tre Coleman: 7.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.3 APG
• K.J. Hymes: 7.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG

Top Players for TCU

• Emanuel Miller: 16.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 52.5% FG
• Jakobe Coles: 12.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 52.6% FG, 40.7% 3PT
• Jameer Nelson Jr.: 12.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 3.0 SPG
• Micah Peavy: 11.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.4 SPG
• Avery Anderson III: 9.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.0 SPG

Nevada vs TCU Prediction and Picks

Prediction: TCU to win

Nevada has been one of the better defensive teams in the country thus far this season, as the Wolf Pack enter today 34th in scoring defense (63.9 PPG) and 41st in field goal percentage defense (39.5%) and rank 24th in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.

But can they slow down the Horned Frogs? TCU is seventh in the country in scoring (89.8 PPG) and tenth in field goal percentage (50.9%) after shooting 54.5% and putting up 111 points against Old Dominion in their quarterfinal win.

It is worth noting that the toughest opponent on TCU’s schedule, Clemson–the only team they have faced to date that is inside the top 100 at KenPom–shut down them, limiting to 32.2% (19 of 59) shooting, including 18.8% (3 of 16) from three.

So, that does give me some pause here, especially when you factor in how Nevada won at Washington, who also plays at a higher tempo on the offensive end.

But in that game, the Huskies still made 60.5% (23 of 38) of their two-pointers and could have survived shooting 29.2% (7 of 24) from three had they been better than 9 of 21 (42.9%) from the free throw line.

If TCU, who is shooting 58.4% on two-point shots while averaging 45.4 two-point attempts per game, shoots near or above that percentage and doesn’t do what they did on twos against Clemson (16 of 43, 37.2%), they should win.

Picks: TCU -2 & Nevada/TCU Over 149 (Both -110 at Bovada – Bet These Plays & Get a 75% Welcome Bonus If Your First Deposit Is Via Crypto)

Where to Bet on College Basketball

If you are looking for college basketball odds, you will always be spoiled for choice.

Sports betting sites all over the internet offer a vast array of NCAA basketball odds throughout the season, from the opening tip in November to the conclusion of the season in early April.

Along with being able to bet on games like Nevada vs Hawaii, many online sportsbooks offer men’s college basketball national championship odds, women’s college basketball national championship odds, men’s Wooden Award odds, women’s Wooden Award odds, and odds on who will win early season and conference tournaments.

Below are some of the books that we highly recommend for college basketball betting:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Other College Basketball Content

• College Basketball Betting Guide
• Men’s Wooden Award Winner Odds
• Women’s Wooden Award Winner Odds