Our College Basketball picks series continues with this primetime matchup on ESPN in the Big 12 Conference. The Texas Tech Red Raiders (16-13) will travel to face off against the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks (24-5). Texas Tech looks to play the part of spoilers as Kansas tries to hang on to the first seed in the Big 12. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Texas Tech-Kansas prediction and pick.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are ninth in the Big 12 standings will most likely not be making the NCAA Tournament. However, at 16-13, the Red Raiders have been able to be a dangerous opponent throughout the season and even saw a recent stretch in which they won three straight home games against ranked Big 12 opponents. The Red Raiders will once again look to spoil the party and bounce back from a recent loss to TCU as they take on the conference leaders.
The Kansas Jayhawks are in sole possession of first place in the Big 12 and can lock up the conference title with a win over No. 9 Texas in their final game of the season. It's the Jayhawks' last home game of the season her tonight, so they've been given a gift in a matchup they could easily win for their fans. Make no mistake, they'll have their hands full as they look to avoid an all-too-familiar upset situation.
Here are the Texas Tech-Kansas college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Texas Tech-Kansas Odds
Texas Tech: +9.5 (-115)
Kansas: -9.5 (-105)
Over: 146.5 (-110)
Under: 146.5 (-110)
How To Watch Texas Tech vs. Kansas
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App, fuboTV
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Texas Tech Could Cover The Spread
The Red Raiders are 4-1 in their last five games and were able to beat No. 12 Kansas State and No. 6 Texas in back-to-back games on their home floor. They continued that success on the road at West Virginia and Oklahoma, but dropped a one-point heartbreaker to TCU at home their last time out. The Red Raiders were once again on the verge of taking down a ranked Big 12 opponent, so they'll be confident as ever that they can take down the Jayhawks in Lawrence.
On the road, Texas Tech is 5-3 ATS. During their last six games, they've gone an impressive 5-1 ATS. Texas Tech has been shooting hot from three lately, averaging over 40% from behind the arc in their recent games. The biggest strength for the Red Raiders, however, is their ability to rebound as a team. They're out-rebounding most teams and being the more physical team. If they can bump the Kansas bigs around, Texas Tech could have a chance to live on the offensive boards and hang in this game.
Why Kansas Could Cover The Spread
Kansas continues to be in the discussion for the best team in the country and if they can win their last two games against Texas Tech and Texas, they'll lock up a tournament 1-seed and could flirt with a No. 1 ranking. After a few bumps in the road, the Jayhawks have reached their peak performance and are ready as ever to make a run in March. They've won their last six games, notching wins over No. 5 Texas, No. 9 Baylor, and No. 24 TCU. They were just able to survived West Virginia their last time out, but were severely outmatched on the rebounding totals.
Kansas will have to focus on controlling the boards throughout this game. They can't afford to be lazy after missed shots against an aggressive team like Texas Tech. Kansas has the more athletic bigs, but Texas Tech is the hungrier rebounding team. For Kansas to avoid this upset, they'll have to focus on low turnovers and high rebounds. If they don't pay attention to the details, they'll find themselves playing catch-up with Texas Tech. Kansas is 14-1 SU at home this season, but 6-9 ATS.
Final Texas Tech-Kansas Prediction & Pick
Texas Tech has a real shot for an upset here if they come out and be aggressive for 40 minutes. This game will be won on the backboards, and Texas Tech is the much better rebounding team of the two. However, Kansas excels over Texas Tech in all other areas and have been the consensus No. 1 overall team at points this year. With this being their last home game, I predict the Jayhawks to get the win. However, the spread is a bit too wide. Let's, instead, take the over.
Final Texas Tech-Kansas Prediction & Pick: OVER 146.5 (-110)
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