The Vanderbilt Commodores take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Vanderbilt Texas Tech prediction and pick. Find how to watch Vanderbilt Texas Tech.

If there is a short list of college basketball coaches on the hot seat right now, Vanderbilt's Jerry Stackhouse has to be on it. Vanderbilt missed the NCAA Tournament last season but made a late charge to come very close to the Big Dance, but their bad early-season losses prevented them from making March Madness. This was supposed to be a season in which Vanderbilt took the next step, made the NCAA Tournament, and solidified Stackhouse's position on the job. The Commodores were supposed to be more consistent, more disciplined, and first of all, ready to avoid bad home-court losses so that their resume would be in reasonably good shape entering SEC play in early January.

That did not happen this season. The Commodores, in their very first game, lost at home to Presbyterian, which was bad last year and has suffered some difficult losses of its own in recent weeks. The Commodores immediately slipped on a banana peel and put their NCAA hopes in extreme jeopardy. Vanderbilt needed to compensate for that loss to Presbyterian in some neutral-court games in Las Vegas, but Vanderbilt came up empty. A blowout loss to Arizona State was a very bad look for a team which was trying to turn its season around. Now comes another neutral-court game — in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth — against Texas Tech and new coach Grant McCasland, who came over to the Red Raiders from his previous job at North Texas. Vanderbilt's Stackhouse offense against McCasland's defense is a matchup basketball junkies should find interesting.

Here are the Vanderbilt-Texas Tech College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: Vanderbilt-Texas Tech Odds

Vanderbilt Commodores: +8.5 (-115)

Texas Tech Red Raiders: -8.5 (-105)

Over: 141.5 (-110)

Under: 141.5 (-110)

How To Watch Vanderbilt vs Texas Tech

Time: 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT

TV: ESPN Plus

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Vanderbilt Could Cover the Spread

As bad as Jerry Stackhouse has been as a coach, there are some things he does well. One of them is developing halfcourt sets. Vanderbilt runs very precise halfcourt offensive actions and will test opponents at the defensive end of the floor. Texas Tech's Grant McCasland is known as one of the better defensive coaches in the country. Vanderbilt could devise an offensive game plan which will give itself a chance to counter the Red Raiders' defensive activity and aggression.

The other point which has to be raised is that Vanderbilt is and has been weak at the defensive end of the floor. Texas Tech, however, does not have an especially potent offense which will take maximum advantage of VU's defensive limitations. The matchup is manageable from Vanderbilt's point of view.

Why Texas Tech Could Cover the Spread

Grant McCasland is viewed as a rising star in the coaching ranks. His North Texas defenses were really hard for opponents to handle. McCasland will have his guys ready to play with the right energy and focus. Tactics are one thing, and Stackhouse knows his Xs and Os, but McCasland is not deficient in that area, and he does a better job than Stack of having his guys ready to play. That's where the difference emerges in these coaches. One is on the hot seat; the other, at Texas Tech, is in position to build back this Big 12 program which made the national championship game four and a half years ago.

Final Vanderbilt-Texas Tech Prediction & Pick

Texas Tech is a lot better than Vanderbilt. The Red Raiders play better defense. They have a much better coach. Take Tech.

Final Vanderbilt-Texas Tech Prediction & Pick: Texas Tech -8.5