For the first time in ten years, the Northwestern State Demons and TCU Horned Frogs will face off against each other, as the 2020-21 college basketball season continues Thursday, December 3.
The Horned Frogs will host the Demons as massive favorites, according to BetAmerica, looking for their fifth straight victory over Northwestern State. Back in 2010, TCU easily defeated the Demons 96-79 at home.
The Demons still search for their first win
The Northwestern State Demons are riding a three-game losing streak at the start of the new season, sitting bottom of the Southland Conference standings. Last season, they went 15-15 overall and 11-9 in the conference play to finish at the fifth spot.
The Demons opened with a heavy 101-58 loss at the Texas Tech Red Raiders. They suffered an 80-71 defeat to the UT Arlington Mavericks at the neutral site, while the Demons lost at the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 91-77 this past Sunday.
The Demons head coach Mike McConathy used 13 players through the first three games, and senior wing Jamaure Gregg led the way with 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. Senior guard Jairus Roberson averaged 11.3 points and 2.0 assists, while freshman center Kendal Coleman had 6.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
The Horned Frogs look to stay atop of the Big 12
The TCU Horned Frogs are 3-0 on the season following a 56-52 over the Liberty Flames in the Hall of Fame Classic at the neutral site this past Sunday. They failed to cover a 5-point spread despite having a nine-point lead with two minutes to go in the second half, but the Horned Frogs fully deserved to come out on top.
Before they beat the Flames, the Frogs outlasted the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 70-65 as 3.5-point favorites, while they opened the season with a 69-45 victory to the Houston Baptist Huskies as 29.5-point home favorites.
Junior big man Kevin Samuel leads the way for TCU with 10.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Junior guard R.J. Nembhard averages 11.0 points and 3.0 assists, while freshman Mike Miles records 10.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest.
Trends:
Northwestern State:
- 11-7 ATS in the last 18 games overall
- 8-4 ATS in the last 12 road contests
TCU:
- 1-4 ATS in the last five games overall
- 7-11 ATS in the last 18 games at home
The Winner Prediction
The Horned Frogs should open as heavy double-digit favorites. I’m pretty sure they’ll beat the Demons, but covering a massive spread could be a problem.
TCU’s defense will be too much for Northwestern State, but the Frogs’ offense is far away from the best in the country. The Frogs are tallying 103.1 points per 100 possessions, enough for the No. 100 in the nation.
The Demons will try to push the ball in transition and make some 3-pointers. On the other side, the Horned Frogs will look to slow things down. TCU should win this game with its tempo and defense, and I think the Frogs’ offense is not potent enough to cover.
Pick: Take Northwestern State and the points
The Total:
Interestingly, the Demons’ last nine road games went in the over. Despite this red-hot trend, I have to bet on the under Thursday, as the Demons’ clash against the Horned Frogs looks like a proper low-scoring affair.
The Horned Frogs heavily lean on their stout defense. Also, they love to play at a slow pace, so I’m not worried about the Demons’ furious tempo. Northwestern State is averaging 75.8 possessions per 40 minutes (14th in the country).
The under is 3-1 in TCU’s last four games overall, and it is 6-3 in the Horned Frogs’ previous nine showings at home.
Pick: Go under