Red Raiders vs. Wildcats Prediction
The 14th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas State Wildcats both have elite defenses to showcase tonight when they meet in Manhattan. Is the under the right play considering the lockdown defenses and slow tempo of the two teams at play?
Game Snapshot
619 Texas Tech Red Raiders at 620 Kansas State Wildcats
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Bramlage Coliseum at 7PM ET
TV: ESPN2
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Wildcats are a 1-point favorite on the spread line. The total sits at 121 points. As of Tuesday morning, 63 percent of public bets are siding with host Kansas State. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest information.
Red Raiders drop second straight
Texas Tech lost 73-62 Saturday at Baylor to fall to 15-3 overall and 4-2 in Big 12 Conference play. The Red Raiders were outscored 40-31 in the second half of the loss. Texas Tech shot 21-of-45 from the field, 5-of-15 on 3-point tries and 15-of-19 on free throw attempts. Jarrett Culver led the Red Raiders with 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting including 1-of-4 from 3-point range. He also tallied nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. Brandone Francis had 14 points and two boards off the bench. Davide Moretti registered 13 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Wildcats win fourth in a row
Kansas State secured a 65-55 win Saturday at home versus Texas Christian to improve to 14-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play. Xavier Sneed led the way with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting including 1-of-2 from 3-point distance plus 5-of-6 at the free throw line. He also had four rebounds and two assists. Dean Wade accounted for 16 points and six assists. Barry Brown Jr. added 10 points, five boards and three assists. The Wildcats established a 37-30 lead at halftime and continued to play well after the break. Kansas State shot 22-of-48 from the field, 3-of-15 from 3-point distance and 18-of-24 from the free throw line.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Texas Tech
The under is 12-3 in the last 15 Red Raiders games versus a team with a straight up winning record. The under is 7-3 in the last 10 Texas Tech games following a straight up loss.
Kansas State
The under is 6-1 in the last seven Wildcats games following a straight up win. The under is 8-3 in the last 11 Kansas State games overall.
Prediction:
Both of these offenses are outside the top 100 in adjusted offensive efficiency, with the Wildcats being way out as they are ranked 181st. Meanwhile, Texas Tech is No. 1 overall in adjusted defensive efficiency and Kansas State is ranked fifth. The Red Raiders have a slower than average pace, while the Wildcats play at one of the slowest tempos in the country. The previous matchup, won 63-57 by Texas Tech, saw 120 total points and I think we’re looking at less points than that tonight. Defense is the name of the game here and don’t overthink it.
NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS/KANSAS STATE WILDCATS UNDER 121