The Arizona Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season on Monday night, falling to the Kansas Jayhawks by a score of 82-78.
They’ll try to get back on track on Saturday when they host the Texas Tech Red Raiders, which is certainly no easy matchup for the Wildcats. The Red Raiders are 8-3 in conference play and the No. 16-ranked team in the country.
Let’s take a look at the odds and my best bet for this marquee matchup in the Big 12.
Texas Tech vs. Arizona Odds, Spread, and Total
Spread
Texas Tech +9.5 (-105)Arizona -9.5 (-115)
Moneyline
Texas Tech +420Arizona -580
Total
OVER 157.5 (-110)UNDER 157.5 (-110)Texas Tech vs. Arizona How to WatchDate:Â Saturday, February 14Game Time: 6:30 pm ETVenue: McKale Memorial CenterHow to Watch (TV): ESPNTexas Tech Record: 18-6 (8-3 in Big 12)Arizona Record: 23-1 (10-1 in Big 12)Texas Tech vs. Arizona Betting TrendsTexas Tech is 5-2 ATS in its last seven gamesTexas Tech is 13-5 straight up in its last 18 road gamesThe UNDER is 7-0 in Texas Tech’s last seven games played in FebruaryArizona is 12-6 ATS in its last 18 gamesThe UNDER is 5-2 in Arizona’s last seven gamesTexas Tech vs. Arizona Key Player to WatchJT Toppin, F – Texas Tech Red Raiders
Any time that Texas Tech takes the court, JT Toppin is going to be the most important player in the game. He’s one of the best talents in college basketball and is leading the Red Raiders in points per game (21.5), rebounds per game (10.9), and blocks per game (1.7), while also averaging 2.0 assists and 1.7 blocks. He is going to provide plenty of headaches for the Wildcats on Saturday.
Texas Tech vs. Arizona Prediction and Pick
Instead of betting on a side in this game, I’m looking toward the total and taking the OVER.
Both teams are inside the top 35 of college basketball in shooting, ranking 33rd and 35th in effective field goal percentages. More importantly than that, their offensive strengths line up with their opponent’s defensive weaknesses. Texas Tech is a three-point shooting team, and Arizona ranks 60th in opponent three-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 31.4% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Arizona attacks the interior of their opponents’ defenses, and Texas Tech ranks 147th in opponent two-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 50.9% from two-point range.
Finally, Arizona ranks 23rd in the country in adjusted tempo, so I expect them to be able to push the pace and cause Texas Tech to play faster than the Red Raiders want to.
Pick: OVER 157.5 (-110)
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