The game of the day on Saturday is a Big 12 showdown between the No. 11-ranked BYU Cougars and the No. 15-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. In a loaded Big 12, these two teams are amongst the best and will be in contention for the conference championship.
Texas Tech suffered its first conference loss last week, losing to Houston by a score of 69-65. The Red Raiders have since rebounded with wins against Colorado and Utah. BYU is 4-0 in conference play, but they’ve yet to face a top-tier team. This will be their biggest test so far in their conference schedule.
BYU vs. Texas Tech Odds, Spread, and Total
Spread
BYU +2.5 (-102)Texas Tech -2.5 (-120)
Moneyline
Total
OVER 159.5 (-110)UNDER 159.5 (-110)BYU vs. Texas Tech How to WatchDate:Â Saturday, January 17Game Time: 8:00 pm ETVenue: United Supermarkets ArenaHow to Watch (TV): ESPNBYU Record: 16-1 (4-0 in Big 12)Texas Tech Record: 13-4 (3-1 in Big 12)BYU vs. Texas Tech Betting TrendsBYU is 2-4 ATS in its last six gamesBYU has won six straight road gamesBYU is 13-1 straight up in its last 14 games vs. Big 12 opponentsThe OVER is 9-1 the last 10 times BYU has been an underdogTexas Tech is 4-2 ATS in its last six gamesTexas Tech has won 10 straight home gamesTexas Tech is 6-12 ATS the last 18 games as a favoriteBYU vs. Texas Tech Key Player to WatchAJ Dybantsa, F – BYU Cougars
Anytime that BYU takes the floor, AJ Dybantsa is the player to watch. He’s the clear second choice on the odds list to win the Wooden Award for the best player in college basketball, as he’s averaging 23.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Texas Tech has a tough test ahead of them as the Red Raiders have to find a way to slow him down.
BYU vs. Texas Tech Prediction and Pick
Texas Tech has historically been known for being a strong defensive team, but the Red Raiders rank 122nd in defensive efficiency this season. That could cost them against a BYU team that is electric offensively, led by one of the very best shooters in the country in AJ Dybantsa.
I would consider betting on Texas Tech if it outranked BYU in shooting, but that’s not the case either, coming in at 45th in effective field goal percentage.
All signs point to BYU being the better team, so I’ll take the points with the road underdogs.
Pick: BYU +2.5 (-102) via FanDuel
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