Both teams have a chance for a statement win heading into the February 9th West Virginia at Texas Tech pick. The #14 Mountaineers can put a big boost on their resume with a road win at the 7th ranked Red Raiders. TTU isn’t as dominant as you’d think at home either, as three of their five losses on the year have come in Lubbock.
WVU either has momentum or is at risk of a letdown after pulling away from Kansas 91-79 on Saturday as -2.5 favorites. It was the 4th win in the last 5 games for Bob Huggins’ team, which includes an 88-87 win at home over Texas Tech on January 25th as +1.5 underdogs. Despite the loss, the Red Raiders are -6 point favorites on Tuesday.
Take West Virginia and the Points?
It would seem like great value on the Mountaineers heading into the February 9th West Virginia at Texas Tech pick. The 12-point win over Kansas on Saturday was impressive, and the Mountaineers already have a win over Texas Tech in the past two weeks.
WVU showed some top-end talent in the win over the Jayhawks, with Miles McBride scoring 29 and Taz Sherman chipping in 25 points. McBride looks back on track after being held to 9 points vs. Florida and Iowa State, while Sherman continues to roll with his 8th straight game in double figures.
The Mountaineers putting up some points is nothing new. They’ve gone for 80+ in three of the last four, and rank behind only Baylor in scoring in the Big 12. Defense is Texas Tech’s calling card though, as they are tops in the conference giving up just 61.7 ppg.
Can Texas Tech Cover the Number?
This game feels like it should be a one or two point line based on two top 15 teams heading into action. They matched up well in the first meeting, but the home team did win by 8+ points in both contests last season.
Can TTU cover what seems like a fairly large margin? A slight 55% of the betting public favor Texas Tech in this one, and the Red Raiders have played well with three straight wins. TTU has momentum after a 12-0 run in the final minute vs. LSU, as well as clamping down in a 57-52 win over #12 Oklahoma. The Red Raiders avoided the slip-up in grinding out a 73-62 win over Kansas State on Saturday.
Texas Tech’s defense is elite, but WVU was able to score 88 on them at the end of January, the most the Red Raiders have allowed all season. Were the Mountaineers just on fire though? They hit 30-52 from the floor (58%) and an unreal 12-19 from three point range (63%). WVU was red hot and TTU still lost by only a point.
Free February 9th West Virginia at Texas Tech Pick
The line seems very high in the Red Raiders’ favor, especially in a game that West Virginia could feasibly win outright. Texas Tech can put the clamps on defensively, but WVU showed they match up well in scoring almost 90 vs. the Red Raiders in the first meeting.
West Virginia 64 – Texas Tech 68
Free Pick: West Virginia +6
