Week 13 College Football Free Picks: TCU At Texas

When the college football season hasn’t gone as you had hoped or expected, the final week of the season usually means that you are playing for nothing more than pride. That is not quite the case in the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and Texas Longhorns on Friday afternoon. Yes, there is the usual in-state rivalry that makes this game more interesting than it might be given the current standings of these two, but there is also another element to consider with this one. Texas head coach Charlie Strong was given his walking papers earlier this week, and the reaction from his players to the news made it very clear that were most certainly not on board with the decision. We can expect this Texas team to play with some real passion this weekend, as they will want to win one final game for their coach. Will that passion lead to victory, or will it end up getting in their way, just a little bit? The Longhorns are a 3-point betting favorite for this one.

A Closer Look At The Week 13 College Football Free Picks: TCU Horned Frogs At Texas Longhorns

When: Friday, November 25 at 3:30 PM EST Where: Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin TV: FS1 Live Stream: FOX Sports GO NCAAF Odds: TBA    

Why bet on the TCU Horned Frogs

Looking at the Big 12 before the season began, the consensus was that the TCU Horned Frogs would be at or near the top by the end of the season. Things have not gone to plan, though, as the Frogs are coming into the final game of the regular season with a 5-5 record. This team didn’t plan on being as explosive on offense as they were in years past, but they had brought in a lot of talent on defense, with the goal of making the team more balanced. It has been the defense that has been the issue, and the team has struggled for consistency because of that. TCU Horned Frogs are just 2-8 ATS this season, and a dismal 1-6 ATS versus conference opponents.

Why bet on the Texas Longhorns

Charlie Strong entered the season on the hot seat, and after a positive start, the seat got altogether too hot with Texas losing 5 of their last 8. This is a ridiculously young team, and while they have looked very good at times, it has been rookie mistakes and a seeming lack of game preparation that has killed them. The one thing that you can say about this Longhorns team is that they compete to the end, as they have become the kings of losing games by a TD or less. The one thing that you can say about Texas is that they have been a good bet at home. They are 6-5 ATS overall, but a healthy 4-1 ATS in home games.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

TCU have totally blown out the Longhorns in the last two meetings, but this is a very different Horned Frogs team from previous seasons. This one figures to be a whole lot closer, and the wave of emotion from the Texas players may well be enough to carry them to victory.

TCU Horned Frogs 30 Texas Longhorns 35