Chris Beard is one heck of a coach to have the Texas Tech Red Raiders clocking in at 13-7 and 3-3 in Big 12 play with all the firepower lost from last season’s runner-up squad. A huge challenge awaits them late Saturday afternoon when they invade Lawrence looking to hand the No. 3 ranked Kansas Jayhawks a second home defeat in Big 12 play. Bill Self gets the benefit of having David McCormack back from his two-game suspension, and that could go a long way in helping wear down a Red Raiders defense that’s nowhere near as lock down as it was last year. Should that be the case, the Red Raiders will need its offense to rise up for it to have any chance of pulling the upset. Easier said than done with KU holding Texas Tech to an average of just 65.6 points in its last five visits to the Phog!
This Big 12 matchup is set to go down on Saturday, February 1, 2020. Tip-off will be at 4 p.m. ET from the Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN. So make sure to fill out your March Madness Bracket today!
CBB Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Successive losses to TCU and Kentucky had the Red Raiders on the war path on Wednesday night when it skunked West Virginia at home 89-81 to secure the much needed home win and cover. Those expecting a low scoring affair to play out were only left crying in their beer after Texas Tech matched WVU’s season-long tempo and tallied their third highest scoring output of the season. This was done against a defense ranked No. 3 in efficiency at KenPom! Jahmi’us Ramsey, Davide Moretti and Terrence Shannon Jr. were simply unconscious in combining for nearly 78 percent of the total points scored, while the defense held up its end of the bargain by outboarding the Mounties 28-19 and holding them to a 39 percent success rate. Play like that in this matchup, and they’ll have a solid shot of improving upon their 1-3 SU and ATS true road records.
Kansas currently ranks out as the No. 1 team in the land per the current Pomeroy Ratings regardless of the fact that it’s been defeated by Duke, Villanova and Baylor. The Jayhawks rank No. 8 in offensive efficiency and No. 3 in defensive efficiency. As efficient the offense has been with only three players averaging double-digits in scoring, it’s the defense that’s allowed for the team to win 17 of its first 20 played games and cover the closing pointspread at online sportsbooks in 12 of them. For the season, KU concedes just over 60 points per game (No. 12), blocks an average of 5.0 shots per game (No. 24) and logs an average of 7.9 steals per game (No. 51); an average that jumps up to 8.4 when at home! The Jayhawks check in 8-1 SU and 5-4 ATS in the comforts of their own gym.
Player to Watch
So there was this baby faced kid that cracked the starting lineup in Stillwater on Big Monday. After playing an integral part in the beat down of Kansas State at home two games prior with 20 points and four rebounds, Christian Braun came up even bigger in the second half versus Oklahoma State to allow for the Jayhawks to cruise to the 65-50 win and cover as 7.5-point favorites. His 16 points and nine rebounds led the team in both stat categories, and it only looks like this kid has begun to scratch the surface as to how good he can truly be. With Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike likely to handle a bulk of the scoring load, those looking to bet on the Jayhawks best make it a point to see how the freshman is playing. If he picks right back up where he left off, KU could have an easier time than expected disposing of the Red Raiders.
Prediction
Texas Tech hasn’t shown me much of anything to this point to make me believe they’re capable of mimicking the Baylor Bears by going into the Phog and coming up with a win. Whether they’re able to keep the final score respectable remains to be seen. Regardless of the fact that they nearly just dropped a 90 burger on West Virginia, it had more to do with playing to the Mountaineers tempo and draining an absurd 65 percent of their attempted 3-pointers. Kansas plays to one of the slower tempos in the Big 12 (No. 245), while Texas Tech has nearly been as much of a snail (No. 212). KU has been an under bettor’s wet dream with it cashing in 14 of 20 times, while the Red Raiders have played to low scorers in three of four true road games. Though the over has cashed in each of the last six meetings between these conference rivals, I’m expecting this round to be nothing short of a war with points extremely tough to come by. Hit the under for the first half and full game in what should be a classic defensive grinder.
College Basketball Pick: Kansas 65, Texas Tech 57
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