NCAA Basketball Thursday Betting Card: Back Texas Tech in Thursday's Lone Star State Battle

Mar 11, 2021

SI Gambling analyst Roy Larking focuses on a key Big 12 tournament matchup on his Thursday NCAA basketball betting card.

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No. 20 Texas Tech at No. 13 Texas

Lone Star State rivals clash when Texas Tech and Texas meet in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 championship tournament. Tipoff for the Red Raiders vs. Longhorns contest is slated for 9:30 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. This is the third meeting this season. Texas Tech won and covered both regular season games as they posted a 79–77 win at Texas and a 68–59 victory at home. The Red Raiders are 7–1 straight up and 5–3 against the spread during the last eight games in this series.

Texas Tech (17–9, 9–8 Big 12) finished sixth in the Big 12 standings and earned a bye into the quarterfinal round as the No. 6 seed. The Red Raiders won three of their final four games, but closed the regular season with a 3–4 record straight up and against the spread. Texas Tech last played on Mar. 7 and lost 88–73 against Baylor as 8-point underdogs on the road. Prior to that, the Red Raiders won and covered against Iowa State (81–54), TCU (69–49), and Texas (68–59) during three games at home.

Texas (17–7, 11–6 Big 12) finished third in the Big 12 and earned a bye into the quarterfinals as the No. 3 seed. The Longhorns are playing a fifth straight road game. Following the loss at Texas Tech, as 4-point underdogs on Feb. 27, Texas won and covered three road games against Iowa State (81–67), Oklahoma (69–65), and TCU (76–64). Prior to that, the Longhorns posted a 4–5 straight up record but were just 1-7-1 against the spread. Texas has lost five straight Big 12 tournament quarterfinal games.

These teams posted similar numbers on offense during the regular season as Texas averaged 74.9 ppg whiled Texas Tech scored 73.3 ppg. The Red Raiders have an edge on defense as they allow 63.3 ppg while the Longhorns give up 68.2 ppg. Texas was 6–6 straight up, and 3-8-1 against the spread, versus Big 12 teams that finished in the AP Top 25. Texas Tech was 4–8 straight up, and 2–10 against the spread, versus ranked Big 12 teams. Backing the better defense, bet on Texas Tech to cover the point spread.

Pick: Texas Tech Red Raiders -1.5 (-110) at DraftKings