The No. 15 Texas Tech Red Raiders head to Lawrence to take on the No. 23 Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday in a game that has plenty of conference title implications.
While Tech (14-6, 6-5 Big 12) has the higher ranking in the polls, they’ve struggled within conference play and have lost two of their last five games. Overall the Red Raider offense has been solid, scoring 74 points per game. Their defense is what has been winning them games though, allowing just 62 points per contest. Georgetown transfer Mac McClung leads the squad with 17 points per game and three players average in double-digit points.
The Jayhawks’ offense is chugging along at about the same rate as Tech’s, scoring about 74 points per game. Their defense is a touch shakier than the Red Raiders, allowing 67 points per game, but those mainly come from a handful of lopsided games against top-10 teams earlier in the season. In fact, KenPom has them ranked as the 12th most efficient defense in the nation. Kansas (16-7, 10-5 Big 12) has five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Ochai Agbaji, who is the only one of them with more than 13 points per game.
The first time these teams met this season, Kansas came away with a narrow 58-57 win. KenPom is giving the Jayhawks a 56% chance to win this game.
Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming
You can watch Texas Tech vs. Kansas on Saturday, February 20th at 2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, or you can stream it via the ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login. If you don’t have a cable login to access the ESPN app, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream it.
Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends
Point spread: Kansas -2
Point Total: 133.5
Money line: Texas Tech +112, Kansas -136
- Texas Tech has struggled against the spread recently, going 1-5 ATS in their last six.
- Even with the solid defense, the over has hit in eight of their last 11 games.
- Kansas has been a safe bet as well, but for other reasons. They’re 5-1 ATS in their last six.
- The over has hit seven of the last nine times these teams have met.
The Best Bet
Kansas has cleaned up nicely over the past two weeks with four straight victories but they have dropped their last four games against opponents ranked in the top 20 in KenPom. There should be a sense of urgency for Texas Tech on the road, especially after their most recent loss to West Virginia.
Pick: Texas Tech +2
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