How to watch Texas basketball vs. Colorado State: Odds, matchups, injuries and more in March Madness

In a few hours, head coach Rodney Terry and 7-seed Texas basketball (20-12, 9-9 Big 12) will tip off Round of 64 action in the Midwest Region in Charlotte against the 10-seed Colorado State Rams (25-10, 10-8 MWC).

Texas has a challenging and exciting matchup to kick off its run in the Big Dance on March 21 against Colorado State from the Mountain West Conference.

Terry and the Longhorns are looking to prove they can make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament this year as the seven-seed in the Midwest Region of the bracket. That starts by beating a good Colorado State team that looked really impressive in its dominant 25-point win in the 10-seed play-in game earlier this week over the Virginia Cavaliers.

Texas must put its early exit from the Big 12 Tournament last week behind them and get focused on the task ahead against Colorado State. If the Longhorns beat Colorado State in the Round of 64, it would be the third straight years Texas has won at least one NCAA Tournament game.

Here’s a look at the TV/streaming information and game time as the seven-seed Texas faces 10-seed Colorado State in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC, on March 21.

How to watch Texas basketball vs. Colorado State in March Madness

TV: TNT

Live Stream: March Madness Live

Radio/Audio Stream: Longhorn Radio Network

Game time: 5:50 p.m. CT

Live stats: Sidearm Stats

Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, and Allie LaForce will call the action live on TNT between Texas and Colorado State in the Round of 64 on March 21.

Craig Way and Eddie Oran will call the game on the radio broadcast on Longhorn Radio Network.

Texas is 2-0 in the all-time series against Colorado State. The last time these two teams met on the hardwood was in 1952, with the Longhorns winning in Austin by a score of 63-46.

Texas basketball projected starting lineup vs. Colorado State

• G: Tyrese Hunter, Junior (11.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.2 APG)
• G: Max Abmas, Senior (17.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.3 APG)
• G: Ithiel Horton, Senior (6.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 0.9 APG)
• F: Dillon Mitchell, Sophomore (10.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.5 APG)
• C: Dylan Disu, Senior (15.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.6 APG)

Colorado State projected starting lineup vs. Texas

• G: Isaiah Stevens, Senior (16.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 6.9 APG)
• G: Josiah Strong, Senior (6.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.6 APG)
• G: Nique Clifford, Senior (12.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.0 APG)
• F: Patrick Cartier, Senior (10.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.9 APG)
• C: Joel Scott, Senior (13.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.3 APG)

Texas basketball injury report vs. Colorado State

The only injury update Terry provided in his Round of 64 press conference in Charlotte this week was concerning the hand issue senior forward Brock Cunningham has dealt with for the last few games. Cunningham hurt his hand in Texas's loss late in the regular season to the Baylor Bears.

But Cunningham has played his regular minutes off the bench for the Longhorns in the last two games since the hand injury was suffered against Baylor.

Terry said that Cunningham will have his hand "wrapped up" for this game against Colorado State but that he'll "try to play through that pain" as he has done for the last couple of weeks.

Betting odds for Texas basketball vs. Colorado State in March Madness

Texas is a 2.5-point favorite against Colorado State on March 21, and the Longhorns are favored in the money line (-156) over the Rams (+130), per FanDuel. The over/under is 144.5 points.

Colorado State is the No. 28 ranked team in adjusted efficiency in Division I, per KenPom. Texas, meanwhile, ranks 29th in the nation in adjusted efficiency.

KenPom gives Texas a 50 percent chance of beating Colorado State and projects the final score of this game to be 73-72 in favor of the Rams.

This is sure to be a hard-fought contest between two teams with quite a few skilled players who can score the basketball.

Colorado State has four players who are all scoring in double figures this season. The Rams' premier top three players are senior big man Joel Scott, senior guard Isaiah Stevens, and senior wing Nique Clifford. Each of those three top Colorado State scorers average over a dozen points per game.

When those three are firing on all cylinders on the offensive end, Colorado State is a tough team to beat for anyone.

Limiting Colorado State's top three or four scorers will be a major key to victory for the Longhorns in the Round of 64.

Texas, meanwhile, needs to get its top duo of senior guard Max Abmas and senior big man Dylan Disu going on the offensive end if they want to move onto the Round of 32 for the third year in a row. Abmas and Disu were two of the top scorers in Big 12 play this season, as they both averaged over 15 points per game.

If Texas can set the tone on the defensive end and on the glass, while getting Abmas and Disu going early on offense, they'll be in a good spot to stave off a potential upset bid from Colorado State.

Final score prediction: Texas-75, Colorado State-71

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