NCAAW Tournament Elite 8 Best Bets For Monday (March 31): TCU vs Texas Betting Odds & Predictions

As the NCAAW Tournament Elite 8 comes to a close, we have an exciting second matchup this afternoon!

(Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)

No.2 TCU will face off against No. 1 Texas in a battle of the Elite 8! Heavy 7.5 point favorites, will Texas dance their way to the Final Four? Or will TCU continue their magical run to Tampa?

Led by Hailey Van-Lith, the USA Olympian has made NCAA history with her fifth straight Elite 8 appearance. She's also now led three separate programs (Louisville, LSU, and TCU) to the Elite 8. How cool is that? The story continues to swirl around Hailey Van Lith and her path to resiliency and determination.

Let's not forget that TCU center Sedona Prince will get a rematch with her former team. Now in her sixth year in college, Prince's stay in Austin didn't last long due to injuries. While controversy has swirled around Prince, there's no doubt this game may be a bit emotional, and her effect on TCU is profound.

Odds Are Current As Of March 31 AT 11 A.M. ET

If you're looking to bet on the NCAAW Elite 8 matchup between TCU and Texas, welcome, and thank you for supporting women's basketball!

With tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET, the matchup will air on ESPN. Taking place in Birmingham, Alabama, this matchup should be one for the books! The No.1 seed for a reason, the Longhorns have one lone NCAA championship, which came back in the 1985-1986 season.

Let's take a look at my best bets and predictions for the March 31 Elite 8 matchup, featuring the TCU Horned Frogs and Texas Longhorns. Remember to bet responsible, we don't want to wager our entire mortgage on high stakes March Madness matchups!

Are you in search of further NCAAW and sports betting promotions? We have compiled a list of the best sports betting offers here. 

NCAAW Tournament Elite 8 Best Bets: TCU Horned Frogs vs Texas Longhorns FanDuel Odds For March 31

MONEYLINE

• TCU HORNED FROGS: +240
• TEXAS LONGHORNS: -310

SPREAD

• TCU HORNED FROGS: +6.5 (-106)
• TEXAS LONGHORNS: -6.5 (-114)

OVER/UNDER (TOTAL)

• OVER: 127.5 (-112)
• UNDER: 127.5 (-108)

LAST FIVE HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCHUPS: TCU VS TEXAS

• February 10, 2024: Texas 65, TCU 43
• January 10, 2024: Texas 72, TCU 60
• February 11, 2023: Texas 70, TCU 50
• January 4, 2024: Texas 81, TCU 69
• February 26, 2022: Texas 77, TCU 42

NCAAW Tournament Elite 8 : TCU vs Texas Predictions for Monday March 31

Best Spread Bet: TCU vs Texas

• TCU +7.5 (-110 DraftKings)

I would be lying if I thought TCU would make it this deep in the bracket early on in the season. Here we are, now placing one unit on the TCU Horned Frogs to cover the +7.5 point spread against Texas for -110 odds on DraftKings.

I was impressed when TCU defeated Baylor, not once, but twice to win the Big 12 Championship.  We are taking about a team that had a 1-17 just a few years ago. What head coach Mark Campbell has done with this program has been incredible. Now with her third team, no one has more confidence in Hailey Van Lith than Campbell.

We are talking about a TCU team that stood on business and defeated one of the most lethal teams in the country, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In what was considered one of the most exciting Sweet 16 matchups I can remember, TCU was a higher seed, but were deemed massive 7.5 point underdogs on paper.

TCU Is Playing With Poise And Confidence

With both teams gaining nine point leads each, it was TCU's ability to dominate on the boards and inside the paint. With that said, the Horned Frogs shot 22-44 (50 %) and 5-12 (41.7%) against Notre Dame. Yes, the Fighting Irish, one of the most powerful teams in the country.

Led by Van Lith with 26 points, TCU's defense was remarkable. There's no other way to put it. A masterclass of a performance, how does one hold a lethal trio of Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, and Sonia Citron to 10-44 (22.8 %) from the field? Sure Miles was playing on a busted ankle, but are talking about arguably three of the top players in the NCAA tournament!

Texas may be a No.1. seed, but I don't see them having much edge of Notre Dame. Now TCU will head into an Elite 8 matchup as +7.5 underdogs AGAIN!? Don't let the books fool you, this team can hang.

TCU, along with Texas, remains one of the most potent teams in offense in NCAA. Boasting the sixth best 3-point percentage in the nation (38 %), this is a team that isn't afraid to pull the rock. The Horned Frogs put up 24.9 threes per game, which is where they can single handedly upset or cover the spread against Texas.

Can TCU Upset Texas?

As we know, the Longhorns are not a heavy 3-point shooting team. In fact, they averaged the fourth least 3-pointers in NCAA with 10.6 per game.

Overall, Texas is an incredible basketball squad. Boasting the second best point differential in the NCAAW Tournament (+23), TCU doesn't trail far behind with a +19.8 scoring margin. Led by Madison Booker and Rori Harmon, this is a Texas team that only had a +8 point differential in the Longhorn's 67-59 Sweet 16 victory over Tennessee.

I'm all here for the continued two player game between Van Lith and Prince. With a +46 point differential in the NCAAW Tournament, it won't be a a walk in the park. Texas ranks No. 18 in defensive scoring, holding opponents to 55.2 points per game.

Final NCAAW Tournament Elite 8 Betting Prediction: TCU +7.5 (-110 DraftKings)

Overall, Texas is averaging 66 points on the offensive end over the last two games, and with that I haven't been impressed. The Longhorns had a decent outing from the 3-point line against Tennessee, but I don't expect that to continue tonight.

• Tonight's matchup will be physical no doubt. The confidence of TCU is truly unmatched next to any other team. For these reasons, I'm picking TCU to cover the +7.5 spread vs Texas.