Texas Tech Red Raiders vs Houston Cougars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 03/15/2024

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Friday, March 15, 2024

Venue:  T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, MO

Where to Watch:  ESPN, ESPN2

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Texas Tech +8.5, Houston -8.5; Over/Under:  131.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Texas Tech +8.5, Houston -8.5; Over/Under:  131.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Texas Tech +8.5, Houston -8.5; Over/Under:  131.5 points

Texas Tech Red Raiders:  22-9 (11-7) (4th place, Big 12)

Houston Cougars:  28-3 (15-3) (1st place, Big 12)

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Texas Tech Red Raiders:  4-1  last 5

Houston Cougars:  5-0  last 5

Texas Tech is entering this game with a 22-9 record overall, an 11-7 record in conference games, and they are 3-1 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the BYU Cougars in their last game. Richard Isaacs led the team in points per game in that game with 22 while Chance McMillian was next on the team with 17. Joe Toussaint led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Chance McMillian led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 49.1% from the field, 47.4% from 3-point range, and 72% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 75.9 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 69 PPG against them. Texas Tech has an ATS record of 15-16-1 this season and their O/U record is 18-14.

Houston is entering this game with a 28-3 record overall, a 15-3 conference record, and they are 4-0 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the TCU Horned Frogs in their last game. Emanuel Sharp led the team in points in that game with 14 while Jamal Shead was next on the team with 12. Jamal Shead led the team in assists with 5 in that game while J'wan Roberts led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 39.6% from the field, 34.8% from 3-point range, and 71.4% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 74.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 56.9 PPG against them. Houston has an ATS record of 15-15-2 this season and their O/U record is 13-19.

The current betting odds have Houston listed as an 8.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Houston has looked great in their games this season with their 28-3 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 25 teams in the country and also ranked as the best team in the nation right now. They have looked great in the Big 12 this year with their 15-3 conference record which leads the way in only their 1st season of being in the Big 12, and they have also looked great in their neutral site games with their 4-0 record in those. Meanwhile, Texas Tech has looked good in their games this season with their 22-9 record overall and their 11-7 conference record which has them in the top half of the Big 12. They haven't been as good in these neutral site games though with their 3-1 record in those. Texas Tech did manage to pull off a big win by double digits against BYU in the last round and they have been hot lately with their 4-1 record in their last 5 games, but a lot of that was also beating up on some bad teams in their final games of the regular season. Houston has also been really hot coming into this one with their 5-0 record in their last 5 games and they have all the momentum on their side here with the way they have been playing in this conference all season. The best way to place a bet here is on Houston to cover the spread in this game. 

Texas Tech Houston Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Friday, March 15, 2024 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Houston 81 Texas Tech 61.

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Texas Tech Red Raiders: 28-42 ATS as a neutral court underdog or pick. 16-23 ATS off 3 straight wins against conference rivals. 16-24 ATS in conference tournament games. 12-7 UNDER as a neutral court underdog of 6.5 to 12 points. 7-1 UNDER in tournament semi-final games.

Houston Cougars: 16-9 ATS in all neutral court games. 6-1 ATS after scoring 60 points or less. 21-10 ATS after a combined score of 125 points or less. 23-14 UNDER after a cover as a double digit favorite. 15-7 UNDER in all tournament games. 

Texas Tech Red Raiders:  K. Lindsay (G) day-to-day - Undisclosed. W. Washington (F) day-to-day - Foot. D. Cambridge (F) out for season - Knee.

Houston Cougars:  J. Tugler (F) out for season - Foot. R. Walker Jr. (G) out for season - Knee. T. Arceneaux (G) out for season - Achilles.

“They put you in a lot of problems, and early in the game — our defense continues to improve — and I thought we made it hard on them. In the second half, I did a terrible job with the team. I did a terrible job keeping us aggressive.” - Grant McCasland after his team’s win against BYU in their last game on Thursday.

“They're all good. All the teams are really good. You win by 15, you move on to the next one, man.” - Kelvin Sampson after his team’s win against TCU in their last game on Thursday.

P. Isaacs 

J. Toussaint 

K. Walton 

W. Washington 

D. Williams

L. Cryer 

J. Francis 

J. Roberts 

E. Sharp 

J. Shead

PPG: P. Isaacs (16)

APG: J. Toussaint (4.4)

Reb/G: D. Williams (7.6)

PPG: L. Cryer (15.7)

APG: J. Shead (6.2)

Reb/G: J. Roberts (7)

Coaches:

Texas Tech Red Raiders: Grant McCasland (1st season)

Houston Cougars: Kelvin Sampson (10th season)