Colorado State vs Texas DraftKings Preview: How to watch, stream, bet, Tale of the Tape, prediction

After being told by the selection committee that they were the 37th best of the 37 at large teams, Colorado State responded by taking Virginia behind the woodshed, beating them 67-42 in their largest March Madness blowout in school history. Joel Scott and Nique Clifford were magnificent, and the Rams defense held the Cavaliers to a measly 25% from the field.

Niko Medved and the squad will face off with 7 seed Texas in Charlotte. Here’s all the info you’ll need to watch, stream, and bet, along with analysis on key stats for the Rams Round of 64 matchup.

All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook:

Odds: Texas -135, Colorado State +114

DraftKings line: O/U 144 // Texas -2, CSU +2

Odds/lines subject to change. Visit DraftKings for more information.

Time: 4:50 PM MST

Channel: TNT

Stream: Max, NCAA March Madness, CBS/ Paramount+

Location: Spectrum Center (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Resumés:

Colorado State

25-10 // NET Rating: 36 // Resume: 34 // WAB: 47 // Power rating: 55

Best wins: Creighton (3 seed), Colorado (10 seed), Virginia (10 seed), split with San Diego State (5 seed), Boise State (10 seed)

Worst loss: Wyoming (15-17)

Texas

20-12 // NET Rating: 30 // Resume: 27 // WAB: 44 // Power rating: 25

Best wins: Oklahoma twice, TCU (9 seed), split with Baylor (3 seed), Texas Tech (6 seed)

Worst loss: West Virginia (9-23)

Tale of the Tape:

Offense

These teams are remarkably similar, and figures to make for an awesome game. Star point guards Isaiah Stevens and Max Abmas have played against each other since high school, and have even worked out together before. Both squads have four players who average in double figures, with the Longhorns featuring dynamic wings Dylan Disu and Dillon Mitchell, along with shifty guard Tyrese Hunter. Both teams also average the same scoring output. The Rams have the advantage on assists and overall field goal percentage, while Texas rebounds better and is a bit more efficient from three.

Defense

This side of the ball is also quite even. Colorado State is better at protecting the basketball, and overall holds their opponents to worse percentages than the Longhorns do. But, with Texas’ slight advantage on the boards, as well as forcing more turnovers with their speed and length, it’s another aspect of the game that looks to be neck and neck.

Prediction:

Every year, at least one team gets the ball rolling in Dayton and makes a run to the Sweet 16. After dismantling Virginia without Isaiah Stevens hitting his normal shots, who’s to say it isn’t the Rams turn? Expect an electric playmaking battle between Stevens and Max Abmas, who will most definitely guide this game to a jaw-dropping conclusion. After being tied at 75, Stevens runs a pick and roll with Joel Scott, before throwing a perfect lob pass to a flying Nique Clifford to take the lead with a few seconds to spare. Abmas goes coast to coast to try and tie the game, but his layup is too strong, and Colorado State survives. It’s March, so why not prepare for madness?

FINAL: COLORADO STATE 77, TEXAS 75