The #9 Texas Tech Red Raiders (18-5, 7-3 Big 12) face off against the Oklahoma Sooners (13-10, 3-7 Big 12) in a Big 12 Conference showdown on Wednesday night.
The Red Raiders carry a three-game winning streak into the matchup, while the Sooners aim to snap a three-game losing skid.
Wednesday’s tipoff is at 9 p.m. EST inside the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, OK. Texas Tech is a 3-point road favorite, and the over-under total is at 127.5 points.
What to Know – Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech is a team on the rise, winning five of their last six games and sitting one game out of the top spot in the conference standings. The Red Raiders are coming off a 60-53 victory on the road against West Virginia on Saturday.
On offense, Texas Tech averages 74.3 points per game, shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 32.0 percent from the 3-point line. The Red Raiders’ defense limits opponents to 60.1 points per game, 37.6 percent from the field, and 30.5 percent shooting from the arc.
The Red Raiders battled back after falling behind by six points at the break on Saturday to outscore the Mountaineers by 13 in the second half. Texas Tech held WVU to 24.2 percent shooting from the floor. Bryson Williams paced the Red Raiders with 15 points.
Texas Tech is 16-7 against the spread this year, with a 4-2 mark ATS on the road. The Red Raiders are 6-0 ATS over their last six games but 1-4 ATS over their previous five against Oklahoma.
What to Know – Oklahoma Sooners
The Sooners began the season with a solid 11-2 start, but as conference play got rolling, Oklahoma has won only two of its last ten games. A win Wednesday night strengthens the Sooners’ resume for the NCAA Tournament, but another loss and the Sooners might be on the outside looking in heading into the final weeks of action.
Oklahoma scores 69.7 points per game, shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from deep. The Sooners’ defense surrenders 64.0 points per game and holds teams to 42.5 percent shooting from the floor and 30.4 percent shooting from three.
In-state rival Oklahoma State held the Sooners to 55 points and handed the Sooners a devastating blow in Saturday’s 64-55 loss in Stillwater. The Sooners turned the ball over 17 times and hit just 6-of-22 shots from deep. Tanner Groves led all scorers with 23 points in the defeat.
The Sooners are 10-13 ATS this season and 5-7 ATS at home. Oklahoma owns a 6-1 record ATS over its last seven games at home against the Red Raiders.
The Pick is In
Oklahoma needs a win to keep their tournament hopes alive, and the Red Raiders want to keep the good times rolling and stay near the top of the conference standings. The Sooners have sputtered lately, and it’ll be tough for Oklahoma to figure things out Wednesday night against one of the top defenses in the conference.
Texas Tech uses that suffocating defense and pulls away in the second half to strengthen their position in the Big 12 and hand the Sooners its fourth consecutive loss.
Betting Pick: Texas Tech Red Raiders -3
