Texas vs. Texas Tech Prediction and Odds (Back Red Raiders in Chris Beard's Return)

Tuesday night brings us one of the best rivalries in Big 12 basketball when the No. 14 Texas Tech Red Raiders take on the No. 23 Texas Longhorns at the United Supermarkets Arena. If you have time to watch just one game tonight, make it this one. Students have been camping at the stadium for days to see this game and I don’t expect the teams to disappoint. 

The two interstate rivals enter Tuesday night with identical 16-5 overall records and are both 5-3 in conference play. Ergo, they are tied for the third spot in the Big 12 heading into this pivotal showdown. 

Here are the odds for this big-time Big 12 brawl, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Texas vs. Texas Tech Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

• Texas +4.5 (-110)
• Texas Tech -4.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Texas +165
• Texas Tech -195

Total: 122.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Texas vs. Texas Tech Prediction and Pick

The Longhorns are on a bit of a tear right now and look for their fourth straight win after snapping a three-game losing streak late last month.  Their most impressive win during that stretch was against the No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers in the Big 12/SEC Challenge over the weekend. It was actually their most impressive win of the season and first against a ranked team after losing to Iowa State and Gonzaga earlier in the year.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that it has been all good for the Longhorns this year. They have seen massive scoring droughts in the middle of games that have cost them dearly. A big reason for this is the team has nobody on offense that can just take over the game. Without a true number one scoring option, the offense doesn’t consistently look sharp. It’s hardly surprising to see that the Longhorns offense ranks 213th in the nation in overall scoring. Lucky for them, they have the No. 1 ranked scoring defense in the country. With an average of just 54.5 points per game surrendered, they are a frustrating team to try and score on. 

The Red Raiders have a better offense than the Longhorns are accustomed to playing and rank 60th in the nation in scoring. They are 14th from two-point range and 23rd overall in shooting percentage. On top of a strong offense, they have a top 15 defense and allow just a hair over 60 PPG to opponents. 

While I appreciate the defensive stats that the Longhorns put up, their offense is way too inefficient to keep up with the Red Raiders. I think that Tech comes out to an early lead and hangs on to win and cover in this important conference showdown.

Pick: Texas Tech -4.5 (-110)

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE