The first weekend of March Madness is over for the ladies. Now, it is on to the Sweet 16. Notre Dame and TCU battle from the Midwest Region. Notre Dame vs TCU bets preview that matchup and take a look at some possible predictions. Here are the particulars below.
- WHAT: 3 - Notre Dame Fighting Irish versus 2 - TCU Horned Frogs
- WHEN: Saturday, March 29th, 2025, 3:00 pm ET on ESPN or ESPN2 (time may change)
- WHERE: Legacy Arena at BJCC, Birmingham, Alabama
- WHY: Who advances to the Elite Eight on Monday?
Fans and experts always hope for a few upsets but the cream rises to the tops. At OSB., we get ready for some higher-powered matchups. Yes, March Madness Betting Odds 2025 open with some early numbers. The Notre Dame vs TCU bets figure to be something that gets people talking heading into this intriguing matchup.
Notre Dame vs TCU By The Numbers
Notre Dame vs TCU Bets Present Something Different
Notre Dame vs TCU bets present something different. Yes, the ladies' tournament has had a few upsets but form and higher-caliber teams have mostly won and convincingly. Anyway, in most cases, the better seed is the favorite. Notre Dame comes in as the favorite even though the Fighting Irish are the 3 seed. TCU is the 2. Furthermore, there was talk this spread could fan out to potentially 5.5 points but it has stayed 4.5 for now.
As for the why, this is where black and white turns to grey. TCU was ranked sixth in the nation as of March 17th (conference tourney end) and Notre Dame ranked eighth. Part of that reason was that the Fighting Irish lost three of their final five contests heading into the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, TCU was rolling along notching 12 consecutive victories including a Big 12 Tournament Championship. There is a simple reason for the position Notre Dame is in here.
Naturally, offensive firepower is on the side of Notre Dame. When healthy, the Fighting Irish can rival behemoths like South Carolina and UConn. It was a team that scored 85.1 points a game during the regular season en route to a 28-5 record. Defensively, they have their bad spots but are respectably given the Top 10 pace. TCU only averages 77.7 points per game but did pile up 85 against Louisville in their Round of 32 matchup.
So, what happens next? TCU plays things a little slower while Notre Dame tries to dam that torpedoes. This figures to be quite a fun clash.
Can Notre Dame Win This Game?
Notre Dame vs TCU bets ask can Notre Dame win this game? This game heaps a good deal of stress on Hannah Hidalgo and the Fighting Irish. The second-year player averages nearly 25 points per game and can dish out assists, rebound, and possesses lightning speed. Notre Dame rebounds well and does not need their front court to crash the boards because all their players are more than capable of doing so.
The two flies in that ointment are Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince. Van Lith plays the game fast but knows when to dial the game down and isolate things. Prince is a 6-foot-7 tower of power that can break defenses down setting up TCU's perimeter shooting. TCU attempts 25.2 shots per game from three-point range. There is only one problem. Notre Dame ranks first in three-point shooting percentage at 39.3. If the Fighting Irish get out in transition often, they are apt to take more long-range shots.
Anyway, Notre Dame ranks 8th overall in rebounding with a +3.6 turnover margin. The Fighting Irish cause an average of 18.7 miscues a game. They give to get. As Hidalgo once said, "we have to crank it up to win big games." She is not wrong. Naturally, this the first of potentially four big games. Notre Dame carries a slightly deeper roster and go nine deep.
Now, this will not be easy and Notre Dame will have to fight off some nerves. Again, Prince and Van Lith are matchup nightmares and will get their points. Notre Dame is equipped to slow them down enough to outscore their problems on Saturday and cover the spread too.
Notre Dame vs TCU Bets Shop Around Some
Alright, Notre Dame vs TCU bets advice is to shop around some. The two teams play pretty diverging styles like we mentioned above. If one can get a slightly better spread for the Fighting Irish at say 4 or 4.5 points, take it. Now, that may make a difference. One of the prime examples, we used is the Gonzaga and Houston game on the men's side last weekend. The rationale was Gonzaga could force Houston a bit, especially late. That manifested itself in a five-point Houston win (spread was 5.5).
Okay, that spread got as high as 7.5 to 8 before dropping. There are four days between now and tipoff. Even that game total of 144.5 is likely to shift around. Notre Dame can score on anyone. Arguably, like an Alabama on the men's side, the question is can they play enough defense.
Is there an opportunity to tease an alternate bet as high as 149.5? There may be. A projected number could run around +160 to +180 or more. This depends on where the total settles by Saturday. Again, a player prop to monitor will be Hannah Hidalgo to score 25+ points. Hidalgo controls the game as good as any guard and a frenetic pace makes 25+ a lock. For now, go for that over on the game total.
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