Former Texas Tech coach Chris Beard welcomes the No. 11 Red Raiders to Austin on Saturday in Big 12 action as Beard’s No. 20 Longhorns look for the season split against TTU. The Horns likely will be short favorites.
How to Bet Texas at Texas Tech NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info
- When: Saturday, 12:30 PM ET
- Where: Frank Erwin Center
- TV: ABC
- Stream: ESPN app
- Radio: Tunein.com
- Opening NCAAB Lines: TBA (Texas likely small favorite)
Last Meeting
Texas coach Chris Beard returned to Texas Tech on Feb. 1 – it was a zoo in Lubbock – and the Red Raiders rolled to a 77-64 win. Kevin Obanor had 17 points with five 3-pointers, Kevin McCullar had 19 points, including 12 of 15 free throws, and Bryson Williams added 16 points for TTU, which is now coached by former Beard assistant Mark Adams. Marcus Carr had 16 points to lead Texas. After both teams traded a couple of baskets to start the game, with Courtney Ramey making a 3 for a 5-4 Texas lead, the Red Raiders went ahead to stay with a 15-2 run.
Why Bet on Texas Tech?
Playing without starting guard Kevin McCullar, one of the team’s best players, Texas Tech (20-6) still knocked off No. 7 Baylor on Wednesday 83-73. Kevin Obanor recorded a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
The Red Raiders swept the season series over the Bears for the first time since 2005 after coming back from being down 39-32 at halftime and are now 16-0 at home this season. Tech outscored BU by a 51-34 margin in the second half with Obanor scoring 21 of his 23 points after halftime where he was 8-for-9 from the field and 4-for-5 on 3-pointers. It was his first double-double of the season and the 31st of his career.
Bryson Williams added 17 points and four rebounds, while Adonis Arms had 15 points and seven rebounds. Terrence Shannon, Jr. scored in double figures for the third straight game, going for 14 points and leading the team with five assists.
Tech is now 3-2 against top-10 opponents this season with two wins over Baylor and one against Kansas. The Red Raiders have beat at least one top-10 team in eight straight seasons and have now recorded 20 or more wins 16 times in 97 seasons in program history. TTU improved to 4-3 when trailing at halftime, is now 82-62 all-time against Baylor and has won 19 straight home games dating back to last season.
It’s not clear if McCullar will play Saturday due to his sprained ankle. Probably not. He’s led Tech in scoring six times this season and 11 times in his career. He is currently averaging 10.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game in his third season playing for the program. McCullar is the only current player who was on the 2019 NCAA Final Four team.
Why Bet on Texas?
Texas (19-7) won 80-78 in overtime at Oklahoma on Tuesday despite a key player leaving the team. Seniors Timmy Allen and Andrew Jones each scored 20 points as the Longhorns completed a regular-season sweep over the Sooners for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
Jones converted 8-of-14 field goals, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, and tied his season high with seven rebounds in a career high-tying 43 minutes. Jones became the 13th player in UT program history to eclipse the 1,500-career point plateau and moved into 12th place on UT’s all-time scoring list (1,511 points), passing B.J. Tyler during the second half (1,502).
Allen recorded six points while hitting 3-of-3 field goals and grabbing two offensive rebounds during the decisive overtime period. Allen connected on 8-of-13 field goals and 4-of-4 free throws while adding two steals in 29 minutes.
Senior Christian Bishop posted 16 points while hitting 5-of-6 field goals and 6-of-6 free throws to go along with six rebounds and tied a season high with three assists in 29 minutes. Bishop reached double digits in scoring (16 points) for the seventh time this year (26 games) and 46th in his career (116 games). Senior Marcus Carr tallied 16 points while converting 5-of-11 field goals and 6-of-10 free throws in 37 minutes.
This marked the first overtime contest of the 2021-22 season for the Longhorns. Texas improved to 55-57 all-time in overtime contests. UT is now 21-22 in road overtime contests. The Longhorns improved to 2-3 in overtime games against Oklahoma.
Tre Mitchell was not with the team as he has taken a personal leave of absence. The 6-foot-9 forward is currently with his family. Mitchell has not violated any team or university rules or laws, and his absence is not related to COVID-19 protocols. This season with the Horns, Mitchell has started 17 of 24 games and is averaging 8.7 points and four rebounds per game. He’s a transfer from UMass.
Expert Prediction
- Texas 65, Texas Tech 61
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