When you’re struggling on offense, the last thing you want on your calendar is a date with the No. 1 team in the nation. But that’s what the Texas Tech Red Raiders are up against as they tangle with the Louisville Cardinals at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Texas Tech has lost three straight, and shooting problems have been the culprit.
- Date/Time: December 10, 7 p.m. ET
- Arena: Madison Square Garden
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Louisville -7 | O/U 128
- Louisville vs Texas Tech Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The -7 opener marks just the third time this season the Cardinals have been favored by single digits; they’re 2-0 SU and ATS in the previous two games, winning both by an average of 14 points.
Louisville News & Notes
Cardinals head coach Chris Mack admonished his team for nearly letting a large lead get away in a narrow win over Akron late last month. And it’s clear his players took the coach’s lesson to heart. Since allowing 45 second-half points to the Zips, the Cardinals have held Western Kentucky, Michigan and Pitt to an average of 47.7 points in three straight convincing wins.
The Cardinals’ latest defensive stand – in which they limited the Panthers to 37.7 percent shooting from the field – moved Louisville into 15th overall in Division I in points against (57.6) and fifth in field-goal defense (35.3 percent).
Standout forward Jordan Nwora continues to lead the way on offense, with his scoring average of 21.6 points per game more than double that of the next-closest Louisville player.
Texas Tech News & Notes
The Red Raiders are going back to the offensive drawing board following three tough-to-stomach losses (made worse by the fact that they were favored in all three). They shot just 32.7 percent in a defeat to Iowa, went 8-for-30 from three-point range in an overtime setback to Creighton and followed up with a 39.6 percent showing from the floor in a five-point loss to DePaul.
Fortunately for the Red Raiders, they remain one of the top assist teams in the nation – and that passing prowess could work to their advantage against a stout Louisville defense. The Red Raiders dish out 18.8 dimes per game – fifth-most in Division I – and are led in that regard by guard Chris Clarke (5.9), who is also averaging 10.6 points and 9.3 boards in his past three games.
Betting Pick: Louisville -7
This would be an easy decision even if the Red Raiders were shooting well. But they aren’t, and that makes the Cardinals an even more comfortable choice to cover.
- Louisville is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games vs the Big 12.
- Texas Tech is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
- The UNDER is 4-1 in Louisville’s last 5 games.
