The Texas Longhorns secured the first game-winner of the NCAA Tournament when Tramon Mark hit a 19-foot jump shot to defeat the NC State Wolfpack in the First Four.
Now, the No. 11-seed Horns are onto the actual 64-team bracket and a first-round matchup against the No. 6-seed BYU Cougars, and while Texas isn't favored, it also isn't expected to be a blowout in favor of BYU.
Despite the Cougars being one of the top teams in the highly competitive Big 12 and boasting one of the best freshmen in the country, AJ Dybantsa, BYU isn't favored by all that much.
Opening odds for No. 11 Texas vs. No. 6 BYU
- Spread: -2.5 BYU
- Money line: +116 BYU, -140 Texas
- Over-under: +/-157.5 points
The Cougars are only favored to win by 2.5 points, an extremely narrow margin for a game that could send the Longhorns into the second round after they narrowly made the field of 68 to begin with.
Just last night, Texas pulled off the win in a nail-biter of a victory, Mark's game-winning shot going with just one second left on the clock.
In other words, the closeness of the opening odds should give the Longhorns and their fans the hope and drive that they need to pull off yet another victory this March.
Now, this isn't to say that the odds favor Texas; they clearly lean toward BYU winning and moving on. However, it isn't like some of the more obvious wins like Duke's 28.5-point favorability over Siena or Arizona's 30.5-point favorability over Long Island University.
How to watch Texas vs. BYU in the First Round
- Date & Time: Thursday, March 19 at 6:25 p.m. CT
- Location: Moda Center, Portland, OR
- TV/Streaming: TBS
The Horns and Cougs are scheduled to tip off at 6:25 p.m. CT (4:25 p.m. local) at the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers' home in Oregon, the Moda Center. The first-round game will be aired on TBS.