There might not be a more intriguing game this Saturday than the one between the No. 2 West Virginia Mountaineers and the No.8 Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Mountaineers have reached their highest ranking in 58 years, and it could make a strong case to become No. 1 if they could take down Texas Tech on the road. The Red Raiders, on the other hand, are looking to avoid falling out of the top 10 after suffering an earlier loss to Oklahoma. A win over WVU would be big for Texas Tech. Register to bet and wager with your pick.
Betting Preview for the West Virginia Mountaineers vs Texas Tech Red Raiders College Basketball Game on January 13 2018
Where: United Supermarkets Arena
When: Saturday, January 13, 2018 2:00 PM EST
Line: West Virginia Mountaineers () vs Texas Tech Red Raiders ()–view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the West Virginia Mountaineers (15-1 / 4-0 in the Big 12)
Players come and go in college basketball, but so long as Bob Huggins is still West Virginia’s head coach, expect the Mountaineers to be a ruthless defensive team. Thanks to their stingy defense and the heroics of senior guard Jevon Carter, who knocked down a three-pointer in the last minute to break a tie, the Mountaineers managed to get a 57-54 win over the Baylor Bears Tuesday night in Morgantown. They will now look to extend their win streak in the conference by paying the No. 8 Red Raiders a visit in Lubbock.
The Mountaineers are second in the nation in forcing turnovers with opponents committing a dizzying average of 20.3 a game. The Bears had turned the ball over 21 times against WVU. Texas Tech plays an up-tempo, high-scoring game, but the Mountaineers seem well-equipped to disarm the Red Raiders’ offense.
Betting on theTexas Tech Red Raiders (14-2 / 3-1 in the Big 12)
After taking a 75-65 loss at the hands of Trae Young and the Oklahoma Sooners on Tuesday, the Red Raiders need a pick-me-up win to get their morale back. Texas Tech actually had a good job containing the future NBA lottery pick Young in the first half, but failed to sustain their defense in the final 20 minutes where Young dropped 22 of his 27 points. West Virginia, however, does not have a player of Young’s caliber. If the Red Raiders could take care of the ball and throw Carter out of his rhythm, Texas Tech should be at least be able to keep in step with the Mountaineers. That’s going to be easier said than done of course, but Texas Tech is also a nasty team on defense just like West Virginia. The Red Raiders allow just 59.2 points per game –fourth-best scoring defense in the nation. Furthermore, they also like to make opponents cough up the leather with 17.7 turnovers drawn per contest.
Writer’s Prediction:
Texas Tech ekes out a close, 61-59 victory.
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