Colgate vs Texas NCAA Tournament Round 1: How to watch, odds and predictions for March Madness

Live, from Des Moines, IA at the Wells Fargo Arena, first-round March Madness matchup Colgate vs Texas will settle the age-old question once and for all: If four out of five dentists recommend Colgate, will the fifth dentist recommend the Longhorns and go home a winner?

This Texas basketball team has become a media darling after rising to the top of the devastatingly tough Big 12 this season, losing their head coach Chris Beard in the process after he exited shrouded in scandal (and, uh, ended up at Ole Miss this week, which the NCAA probably doesn’t want you reading about come Tournament time).

Under the stewardship of interim coach Rodney Terry, the Longhorns raced out to Big 12 title and 19-7 record following the change in leadership. But can the Horns hook the Colgate Raiders of the Patriot League, who nearly upended the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of last year’s tourney? They’re back for more!

How to watch Colgate vs Texas in the NCAA Tournament Round 1

Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 7:25 pm ET
Channel: TBS
Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live, fuboTV
Announcers: Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, Allie LaForce

Colgate vs Texas NCAA Tournament Round 1 odds

According to BetMGM, Texas is a fairly overwhelming favorite. If you believe in Colgate’s tournament-tested mettle to keep it close (against an inexperienced head coach), there might be a play here.

The Longhorns are reportedly 13.5-point favorites, and both Colgate and Texas are both -110 to cover. The Texas moneyline is -1200, while you can get +725 odds on Colgate to end the game victorious. The over/under is 147.5 points in this one; hammer the over at -105 odds and the under at -115.

Colgate vs Texas NCAA Tournament Round 1 prediction

This game will be slightly less close than the epic Wisconsin/Colgate back-and-forth showdown last season, but don’t discount the Raiders in their attempt to make this interesting. Expect a second-half tie, but a 12-point Texas win.

Prediction: Texas 74, Colgate 62