Staying at the top of the national rankings and dominate the NCAAB Lines week after week is proving to be a tough task this season, as we are seeing one of the most unpredictable seasons in recent history. That unpredictability is spilling over to the conference races, and things are particularly tight in the Big 12, where no team has been able to make it through the first 5 or 6 games without taking a loss. The Texas Tech Red Raiders are in the hunt for a conference crown, sitting just a half-game back of the Kansas Jayhawks, but have another tough conference game ahead of them on Wednesday night when they make the short trip to play their in-state rivals, the Texas Longhorns.
It’s a game that you would ordinarily expect the Red Raiders to win, but conference play in the Big 12 has not really gone as we might have expected, so it may not be out of the realms of possibility that the Longhorns might just spring the upset against the College Basketball odds in their own building.
Unfortunately, the Longhorns could not ride that wave of emotion into their next game, which they lost on the road to Oklahoma State. The Longhorns are similar to their opponents in that they are better on the defensive side of the court than they are on offense. Texas is 6-7 ATS and 5-7-1 O/U this season.
Red Raiders vs. Longhorns NCAAB Lines, Preview & Prediction
- When: Wednesday, January 17 at 8 PM EST
- Where: Frank Erwin Center, Austin
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: 97.1 FM (Texas Tech) / 1260 AM (Texas)
- Live Stream: Watch ESPN
- NCAAB Lines: Texas Tech -3.5 (Over/Under at 129.5)
Team Records
- All: Texas Tech Red Raiders 15-2 / Texas Longhorns 11-6
- Home: Texas Tech Red Raiders 12-0 / Texas Longhorns 8-3
- Away: Texas Tech Red Raiders 3-2 / Texas Longhorns 3-3
- ATS: Texas Tech Red Raiders 8-5 / Texas Longhorns 6-7
- Over/Under: Texas Tech Red Raiders 4-9 / Texas Longhorns 5-7-1
College Basketball Betting Analysis & Pick: SMU vs. Wichita State
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Record: Texas Longhorns lead 7-3
- Score: Texas Tech Red Raiders 59.60 / Texas Longhorns 63.40
- Field Goal Percentage: Texas Tech Red Raiders 41.81 / Texas Longhorns 42.53
- Rebounds: Texas Tech Red Raiders 30.50 / Texas Longhorns 34.00
- 3 Point Shots: Texas Tech Red Raiders 49-160 / Texas Longhorns 53-185
- Steals: Texas Tech Red Raiders 5.80 / Texas Longhorns 6.00
Why bet on the Texas Tech Red Raiders?
The Red Raiders are coming off about as tough a stretch of games that any team will play this season, facing 4 ranked teams in their last 5 games, which should give you an idea of just how good the Big 12 is this season. The good news for the Red Raiders is that they won 4 of those 4 games, with their lone loss coming at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners on the road. They bounced back from that one very nicely, taking down the #2 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in a 72-71 thriller. Those wins were enough to move Texas Tech up to #8 in the rankings with an overall record of 15-2, and 4-1 in the Big 12 Conference. The Red Raiders are not an explosive offensive team, averaging 79.6 PPG, but they are solid on the defensive side of the court, giving up just 60.8 PPG, which is good enough to have them ranked 5th in the nation in that category. Texas Tech is 8-5 ATS this season, and are 4-9 O/U.Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 79.59
- Field Goal Percentage: 48.63
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.05
- Free Throw Percentage: 70.13
- Rebounds: 37.94
- Total Score: 60.82
- Field Goal Percentage: 37.76
- Three-Point Percentage: 30.24
- Free Throw Percentage: 70.52
- Rebounds: 30.53
Why bet on the Texas Longhorns?
There are times when personal situations overshadow sports, and that’s is what is happening right now in Texas, as the Longhorns players and fans are trying to deal with the news that Andrew Jones, one of their star players, has been diagnosed with cancer. The awful news seemed to serve as a catalyst for this team, as they put in what was arguably their best effort of the season in a 99-98 2OT win over ranked TCU the day after news of the diagnosis was released.
Unfortunately, the Longhorns could not ride that wave of emotion into their next game, which they lost on the road to Oklahoma State. The Longhorns are similar to their opponents in that they are better on the defensive side of the court than they are on offense. Texas is 6-7 ATS and 5-7-1 O/U this season.
Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 73.47
- Field Goal Percentage: 44.61
- Three-Point Percentage: 30.05
- Free Throw Percentage: 65.01
- Rebounds: 37.82
- Total Score: 65.82
- Field Goal Percentage: 39.64
- Three-Point Percentage: 31.96
- Free Throw Percentage: 71.58
- Rebounds: 36.47
Latest Betting Trends for NCAAB
- Red Raiders are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games when playing Texas
- Red Raiders are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas Tech’s last 5 games
- Longhorns are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games
- Longhorns are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas’s last 5 games when playing at home against Texas Tech
