College Football Predictions: Will TCU get to 8 wins? 8/17/17

TCU Win-Total Pick

Can the TCU Horned Frogs make a push at being a top contender in the Big 12 again in 2017? Here’s our breakdown of the team this year.

According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, TCU is listed with 100/1 odds to win the College Football Playoffs this season. The Horned Frogs are also listed with 10/1 odds to win the Big 12 in 2017. When it comes to the over/under for regular-season wins, TCU is listed at 7.5. The over carries a line of -140, while the under has a money line of +110.

Gary Patterson enters his 17^th season as head coach of the Horned Frogs. He has posted a 149-54 record with the program. His record last year was just 6-7, which was only his third losing record since becoming head coach.

TCU didn’t have a lot of issues on offense last season, averaging 31 points and 463 yards per game. Kenny Hill returns for his senior season at quarterback in 2017. He threw for 3,208 yards and 17 touchdowns last year while also rushing for 609 yards and 10 scores. Kyle Hicks is also back for his senior year. He rushed for 1,042 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Leading receiver Taj Williams is also back after catching 39 passes for 702 yards and five touchdowns.

Defensively, TCU allowed 27.8 points and 428 yards per game. While sack leader Josh Carraway has moved on, Mat Boesen is back. He had 29 tackles with six sacks and eight tackles for loss in 2016. Senior linebacker Travin Howard is going to lead the unit. He had a team-high 130 tackles in 2016. Ty Summers is also back after racking up 121 tackles last season. In the secondary, Nick Orr returns. He had a team-high four interceptions in 2016 to go along with 86 tackles.

Bet on College Football Odds

TCU opens the season with Jackson State at home and it will also host SMU in Week 3. The other non-conference game is a challenging road trip to Arkansas. In Big 12 play, TCU will host West Virginia, Kansas, Texas and Baylor. Road trips will be made to Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs definitely face some tough tests on the road, but I really think they can win out at home. Their offense should be even better than a year ago while their defense should also show improvement with its experienced starters. If the Frogs win out at home, they need two road wins. They can certainly win at Iowa State and would just need a win over the likes of Arkansas, Kansas State or Texas Tech. I feel good about the over for the Frogs.

2017 WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: TCU OVER 7.5 (-140)

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