Texas Tech vs. Iowa State Prediction and Odds: Red Raiders Continue to Struggle Against Ranked Teams

A battle of top-25 teams is going down tonight at the James H. Hilton Coliseum between the No. 25 Texas Tech Red Raiders and No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones. The Red Raiders will march into this Big 12 rivalry game with a 10-2 overall record and riding a two-game win streak.

While there is no doubt that Texas Tech is a good team, it does struggle against high-quality opponents, having lost to Gonzaga and Providence. Gonzaga handled the Red Raiders with ease and won 69-55. It hasn’t been all bad for the Red Raiders against ranked teams, however, as they did beat Tennessee 57-52. 

The Cyclones will continue their homestand after five straight games at the James H. Hilton Coliseum. However, their last game was one they would like to forget after losing to top-ranked Baylor 77-72. Despite the loss, Iowa State played hard and managed to keep things close against the best team in the nation. 

Here are the odds for this Big 12 battle, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Texas Tech vs. Iowa State Odds, Spread and Total

Spread:

• Texas Tech +4 (-110)
• Iowa State -4 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Texas Tech +145
• Iowa State -170

Total:

• 127 (Over -110/Under -110)

Texas Tech vs. Iowa State Prediction and Pick

Iowa State’s defense was uncharacteristically bad against Baylor, allowing the Bears to shoot over 50 percent overall and reel off 77 points. This is a far cry from their average of 38 percent that ranks them 13th in the nation. Despite getting beat up by Baylor, Iowa State still has a top-10 scoring defense and is second in the country in defensive assists to turnover ratio. 

Where things get a little iffy for the Cyclones is on the offensive side of the ball. This was very evident after Iowa State shot just 7.1 percent from deep against Baylor. The tepid performance dropped the Cyclones 3-point percentage on the season to 34.1. 

The Red Raiders, I think, are going to experience a wake-up call tonight. They have struggled against strong competition and have major turnover issues that I expect Iowa State to take advantage of. Texas Tech turns the ball over on almost 25 percent of all its offensive possessions. This, combined with the Cyclones' ability to create turnovers, should have any Texas Tech fan worried. 

Pick: Iowa State Cyclones -4 (-110)