Killer Frogs

College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl TCU vs. Michigan: Odds, Spread, and Point Total Prediction

The Michigan Wolverines are -7.5 favorites over TCU in the odds for the Fiesta Bowl. Get an analysis of the point spread and over/under.

Nathan Cross

College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl TCU vs. Michigan: Odds, Spread, and Point Total Prediction
College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl TCU vs. Michigan: Odds, Spread, and Point Total Prediction /
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Despite barely losing in the Big 12 Championship, the Horned Frogs still received an invitation and a ticket to the College Football Playoffs. TCU made history as they were the first team from Texas to make the Playoff and the first team with a first-year head coach to make the Playoff. TCU is ranked No.3, and Michigan is ranked No.2 according to the final College Football Playoff rankings.

TCU finished the regular season undefeated and fell short of winning the Big 12 Championship as they lost to Kansas State in overtime 31-28. They will be coming into the Fiesta Bowl with a 12-1 record. As For Michigan, they finished with an undefeated regular season and won the Big 10 Championship, beating Purdue 43-22. Will the Horned Frogs continue what they have done all season? I think they will, but we will have to wait and see. The Frogs are set to play the Wolverines in Glendale, Arizona, at State Farm Stadium on Saturday, December 31, at 3 p.m. CDT/2 p.m. MST.

Oddsmakers have given Michigan the edge in this matchup, which is not a surprise because they are ranked ahead of the Frogs and undefeated. However, this Michigan team will be far different from any team they have seen. The Horned Frogs have shown multiple times this year that they don't care about all the talking; they are only focused on their goals. I genuinely believe you will see a far different TCU game plan to keep the Wolverines on their heels. So expect this to be a close matchup. The oddsmakers have the over/under set at 58.5 points. 

This game should be very exciting for both teams because this is the first time the two teams will play head-to-head. TCU and Sonny Dykes want to make the most out of their first College Football Playoff appearance and possibly go win the National Championship. As for Michigan and Jim Harbaugh, they are looking to make it to the National Championship. Both teams have been preparing for this opportunity for a while. Michigan will be looking to shut down Max Duggan and TCU's high-powered offense. They will also be looking to run the ball on TCU. As for TCU, they will look slow down Donovan Edwards and the Michigan elite rushing attack and force J.J. McCarthy to throw the ball. Most people thought Sonny Dykes would bring success to this Horned Frogs team. However, I don't think anybody knew it would be reaching the College Football Playoffs in his first season.

Now that Duggan has announced this will be his final season at TCU, as he declared for the draft, he will be looking to make some noise and give it his all, just as he has done this whole season. He definitely wants this win that would earn The Frogs a trip to the National Championship.

The Frogs need to continue what they have done all season and stick to what they have practiced. However, they also need to be prepared for a whole different style of team because this Michigan team likes to run an entirely different offense. 

Regardless of what happens, our Frogs have provided the best season we could have asked for. I want to thank each and every one of them, especially the seniors. I hope and wish for the best on their journeys after college. Whether it be for them to play football in the NFL or pursue their career paths, one thing will always be certain; they will always be Frogs!

Betting Trends for both teams:

  • The UNDER is 5-1 in TCU’s last 6 games against a Big Ten Conference team.
  • TCU is 4-1 straight up in its last 5 games played in December.
  • Michigan is 16-0 straight up in its last 16 games as a favorite.
  • Michigan is 4-2 against the spread in its last 6 games against a Big 12 Conference opponent.

The pick: Michigan -7.5 Over/Under 58.5 points.

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Nathan Cross
NATHAN CROSS

Nathan (Nate) Cross is a current TCU student (Class of 2025), avid golfer, and a Horned Frog sports enthusiast. He enjoys anything sports-related such as writing, following all stats, and player movements. Additionally, he is always up for a good sports debate.

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