Baylor vs. Texas Tech Pick
No. 6 Baylor isn’t much of a favorite when it visits Texas Tech today. Can the Bears go on the road and take care of business against the Red Raiders at 7PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Baylor is only listed as a 2.5-point favorite at Texas Tech tonight. The over/under total for the game is listed at 127.5 points. Baylor has won eight of the last 10 in this series, but the Red Raiders have covered in four of the last five meetings. Baylor picked up a 65-61 win over Tech at home on Jan. 25.
Baylor has won two straight, beating Oklahoma State and TCU to get to 22-3 on the season and 9-3 in the Big 12. The Bears also come in 12-8 against the spread, while going 8-2 against the spread on the road. Baylor is averaging 72.4 points per game on offense while allowing just 61.7 on defense. When on the road, Baylor is allowing 68.1 points per contest. The team has recently suspended Al Freeman, who was averaging 9.1 points per game. Johnathan Motley has been the team leader with 16.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while Manu Lecomte is adding 12.6 points and 4.2 assists per contest.
Texas Tech is coming off a narrow 80-79 loss at home to Kansas, its second straight defeat. The Red Raiders are now 16-9 overall and 4-8 in the Big 12. They have covered the spread in three straight despite the losses and are now 11-10 against the spread on the season. Tech averages 75.1 points per game on offense this season while allowing 65.8 on defense. When at home, the Red Raiders improve their offensive average to 80 points per contest. Keenan Evans is leading the team with 14.9 points and 3 assists per game while Zach Smith is adding 13.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest.
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The spread seems too small but Texas Tech showed this weekend it can be a tough team to deal with at home. The Red Raiders are actually 2-0 against the spread this season as a home underdog and I think they make it 3-0. Baylor is like Kansas, where it has managed to play down to its competition at times. With a role player in Freeman not in the mix, it’s one less offensive weapon for the Bears against a respectable defensive team.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: TEXAS TECH +2.5