Abilene Christian vs Texas Picks and Odds
- The third-seeded Texas Longhorns are nine-point favorites over the #14 Abilene Christian Wildcats in their first-round NCAA Tournament game on Friday, March 19th
- This will be the the first time these two Texas-based schools have ever met on the basketball court
- The Longhorns won their first-ever Big 12 Tournament title this season
The eyes of Texas will certainly be fixed on this game, as the Texas Longhorns clash with the Abilene Christian Wildcats. It’s the first-ever meeting between these two schools from the Lone Star State and it’s coming on college basketball’s biggest stage, the NCAA Tournament.
For the first time in school history, Texas is the Big 12 Tournament champion. The Longhorns are #9 in the AP top-25 rankings.
The #3 seed in the East Region, Texas is a nine-point favorite over Abilene Christian. The Longhorns are playing their best basketball of the season heading into March Madness and are riding a five-game winning streak.
Tipoff for the Friday, March 19th, game at Lucas Oil Stadium is set for 9:50pm ET. The broadcast is being carried by truTV.
Abilene Christian vs Texas NCAA Tournament Odds
| Team | Moneyline at DraftKings | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | +340 | +9 (-108) | O 139.5 (-113) |
| Texas | -435 | -9 (-112) | U 139.5 (-112) |
Odds as of March 18th.
Longhorns’ Long Wait Is Over
Texas ended a 25-year wait by winning the first Big 12 title in school history. True, the 19-7 Longhorns, third-place finishers in the Big 12 (11-6), caught a big break when Kansas, their semifinal opponent, was sent packing by a COVID-19 positive.
Nonetheless, when it came time to perform, Texas did so, beating Oklahoma State 91-86 in the title game. Saving their best for last, seniors Matt Coleman III (30 points) and Jericho Sims (21) both posted career-high numbers in the win. Coleman was named outstanding player of the tournament.
First Big 12 Tournament Championship in program history. You love to see it. 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/umGA92bjRb
— Texas Men's Basketball (@TexasMBB) March 15, 2021
Texas relies on a three-guard format to pace the team’s offense. Coleman (13.3 points per game), Andrew Jones (14.6), and Courtney Ramey (12.6) are all averaging over 31 minutes per game.
The Longhorns led the Big 12 in rebounding and were second in the conference in rebound margin.
Wildcats Strike
Abilene Christian is a pesky bunch. The Wildcats are #1 in the NCAA in both forcing turnovers (20.26 per game) and turnover margin (6.4).
They’re also second in the nation in steals per game (9.9) and total steals (26.4). Reggie Miller is leading the way with two steals per game. That could end up causing problems for a Longhorns team that is 240th in the NCAA in turnovers per game (14.2).
Miller also is leading the team in assists (4.4 per game). The Wildcats are efficient at distributing the ball. They rank fifth in the nation in assists per game (18.2).
Seven-footer Kevin Kohl (12.3 points per game) is the Wildcats’ scoring leader. Center Kohl (4.8 rebounds per game) and forward Joe Peasant (5.4 rpg) dominate the boards.
Abilene Christian (23-4) finished second in the Southland Conference (13-2) but won the conference tournament. The Wildcats routed first-place Nicholls State 79-45 in the final. They rank fifth in the NCAA in scoring margin (17 points).
Texas Two-Step
Looking at the size of the Wildcats up front and their tenacity on defense, it’s not at all difficult to fathom why so many see this game offering upset potential. However, the Longhorns are equally adept on the boards. Sims is pulling down 7.1 rebounds per game and forward Greg Brown (6.4) is right there with him.
Looking at comparable matchups, Arkansas ended up out-rebounding Abilene Christian 39-28 during an 85-72 victory. Texas Tech won the board battle 35-26 while beating the Wildcats 51-44.
"I've dreamed about playing in this tournament since I was 12 years old."
Former Nevada standout Clay Gayman gets his shot at the big dance – when Abilene Christian faces Texas on Saturday. @NHS_BballTigers @NevadaTigersHS @clay_gayman @ACU_MBB @koamfox14sports pic.twitter.com/H1TdHbiefg
— Jacob Lenard (@j_lenard) March 17, 2021
There’s also the question of whether the Wildcats can score enough to beat the Longhorns. KenPom rates Abilene Christian 30th on defense, but just 157th on offense. By contrast, Texas ranks 21st on offense and 36th on defense, offering evidence of a much more well-rounded club.
That being said, Abilene Christian is 7-1 against the spread over the past eight games. Texas isn’t a tournament-hardened team. This is the Longhorns’ first trip to March Madness since 2018. They haven’t gotten out of the first round in their last three visits.
The Wildcats probably won’t be able to win this game, but it’s worth making a point-spread play on them to cover.
Pick: Abilene Christian +9 (-108)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
