Two teams trending in opposite directions tip off as the Iowa State Cyclones, losers of two straight, visit the No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders, who have won their last five games. Iowa State has won three of the last four meetings between these two schools, but Texas Tech claimed victory in the last contest and it is a 5.5-point favorite in tonight’s game with the total Sportsbook at 132 points.
- Texas Tech allows the second-fewest points per game in the nation this season (54.0).
- Texas Tech is 43-4 SU in its last 47 home games.
- Iowa State has gone UNDER in 11 of its 16 games this season.
Iowa State vs Texas Tech Game Center
Cyclones look to end first losing skid of the season
Following a five-game winning streak that culminated with a 77-60 win over then-No. 5 Kansas in early January, Iowa State has promptly gone on a two-game losing slide, its first of the season. Both of the losses were by a small margin, falling 73-70 at Baylor and then falling late at home to Kansas State 58-57 on Saturday. The 57 points was their fewest this year.
Offense hasn’t been much of an issue for Iowa State this year as it averages the second-most points per game in the Big 12 Conference at 79.8, which ranks 38th in the nation. The Cyclones have four players averaging double-digit points, led by senior guard Marial Shayok, who is pouring in 19.4 ppg.
They are averaging 24.4 three-point attempts as well, the 96th-most in college basketball, and are hitting 36.3 percent of those shots to rank 78th. But Texas Tech limits its opponents to a three-point percentage of 25.4, second-best in the NCAA. On the defensive side of the ball, they are doing a good job restricting their opponents’ scoring, surrendering 64.6 points per game for the No. 26 mark in the nation, and they create an average of 14.9 turnovers per game to rank 70th.
Red Raiders unstoppable in Lubbock
Texas Tech is having a remarkable season thus far, carrying a 15-1 record into tonight’s game and an ongoing five-game winning streak since falling 69-58 to then-No. 2 Duke in mid-December. Most recently, the Red Raiders picked up a 68-62 win at Texas, their first road triumph over the Longhorns since 1996. Meanwhile, back at home, Texas Tech is a perfect 10-0 this year and since head coach Chris Beard took over in the 2016-17 season is 43-4 at the United Supermarket Arena.
The Raiders’ defense has been the key to victory for them this season as they are surrendering the second-fewest points per game in the nation at 54, including limiting opponents to the lowest shooting percentage in college basketball at 33.8 percent. Additionally, they are the only team in the nation to have not had a foe break the 70-point threshold, with Duke scoring the most points against them at 69.
Offensively, they are led by Wooden Award hopeful sophomore guard Jarrett Culver, who is leading the team with 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. However, unlike Iowa State, Texas Tech averages just 17.6 long-range shots per game, the 25th-fewest attempts in the country.
Is the UNDER the bet to make?
Tonight’s game features two teams in the top 30 in fewest points allowed per game and Sportsbook has tonight’s total Sportsbook at 132 points. Texas Tech has gone UNDER in 11 of its 16 games this season with only four games going OVER 132 points. Similarly, Iowa State has gone UNDER in 11 of its 16 games, but has had just three games in which it pushed or went UNDER 132 points due to its potent offense.
However, that offense may be quieted tonight as 33.4 percent of the Cyclones’ scoring comes from beyond the arc, but the Red Raiders allow the second-lowest shooting percentage from long range at just 25.4 percent. Additionally, Texas Tech has yet to have an opponent score 70 points this season so to hit the OVER it would have to carry the scoring. That’s not something it has been able to do often as it averages just 72.7 points per game to rank 175th in the nation.
My take on Iowa State vs Texas Tech
I like Texas Tech to cover the 5.5-point spread tonight. The Red Raiders have a 15-1 SU record this season with an average winning margin of 20.67 and have had just one game that they won by fewer than six points. Iowa State is 1-2 SU in its three road games this season with an average losing margin of 8.5.
Meanwhile, the last time these two teams met in Lubbock last year, the Red Raiders ran away with a 76-58 victory. Lastly, Texas Tech is a perfect 10-0 at home this season with each victory coming by at least six points and since coach Chris Beard has taken over the Raiders, they are 43-4 SU at home with just 10 games being won by fewer than six points.
