The Baylor Bears (+20,000 to win the national title) are aiming for another win in the Big 12 – and eyeing a higher seed in March. Beating the No. 15 Texas Tech Red Raiders (+4,800) again could help them in both of those goals, though, that’s going to be easier said than done. Will the Bears wax hot from deep again and defeat Texas Tech in Lubbock? Or will the Red Raiders even up their scores?
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Betting Preview for the Baylor Bears vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders College Basketball Game on February 16, 2019
Where: United Supermarkets Arena, Lubbock
When: Saturday, February 16, 2019, 2:00 PM ET
Line: Baylor Bears (odds) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Baylor Bears (16-8 Overall / 7-4 Conference)
After suffering back-to-back losses to the Texas Longhorns on the road and to the Kansas State Wildcats at home, the Bears managed to get back in the win column by taking down the Oklahoma Sooners for the second time this season on Monday, 59-53, in Waco. Against the Sooners, Baylor leaned on its torrid outside shooting, making 10 3-pointers on 22 attempts from deep for an astounding 45.5 percent success rate. That kind of shooting from behind the arc have come to be expected of the Bears in conference play. According to KenPom, Baylor is the No. 1 3-point shooting team in the Big 12 with a 39.2 3-point conversion percentage. Although Texas Tech is the great in defending against the three-ball, the Bears found a way to sink 11 treys on 29 attempts in their 73-62 home win over the Red Raiders last month. Makai Mason, who leads the Bears with 16.1 points per game, had 16 points and four triples against Texas Tech.
Baylor, which is 4-4 straight up (SU) on the road this year, is 2-0 against the spread (ATS) in the last two games against Texas Tech.
Betting on the Texas Tech Red Raiders (19-5 Overall / 7-4 Conference)
After a three-game losing skid in January, the Red Raiders seem to have found stability again. They are 4-1 SU in their last five games, and could add to their momentum heading into this weekend’s rematch with Baylor if they could take down the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater this Wednesday. Big 12 teams are having a hard time dealing with Texas Tech’s defense, which is ranked first in the nation in terms of adjusted defensive efficiency. It’s also third in the Division I with just 57.3 points allowed per game. In their most recent outing, the Red Raiders put the Sooners’ offense on a chokehold, holding Oklahoma down to only 36.2 percent shooting from the field and forcing it to commit 14 turnovers. Texas Tech, however, needs to reduce their errors, too, as it is eighth in the conference in turnover percentage and second in the conference with 13.4 miscues per game.
Texas Tech is 2-0 against the spread (ATS) in its last two home games. At United Supermarkets Arena so far this season the Red Raiders are 14-1 straight up (SU) and 7-8-1 ATS.
Writer’s Prediction
Texas Tech wins, 66-59.
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