Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Keenan Evans gives a thumbs up in the second half of a semifinal game in the Big 12 Basketball Championship

Texas Tech Should Feel Confident Against Stephen F. Austin

The Texas Tech Red Raiders may get overlooked entering the NCAA Tournament due to their recent poor play – they have won just two of their last seven games – but you do so at your own peril. At the very least, Texas Tech should be able to handle Stephen F. Austin in the Round of 64, if history is any indication, as the Red Raiders are 35-0 SU in their last 35 as double-digit favorites and 60-0 SU in their last 60 as faves of 11.5 or more.

SHARK BITES
  • Texas Tech is 0-6-1 ATS in its last 7 games.
  • Stephen F. Austin is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games against the Big 12.
  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas Tech’s last 6 games.

Why did Texas Tech struggle to close out the season? That falls squarely on a toe injury suffered by Keenan Evans, which greatly limited the team’s leading scorer. However, Evans is seemingly back to full health, averaging 20.3 points while shooting 51.4 percent in the past three games. The offense Evans brings to the table is needed for a Texas Tech team that ranks outside the top 100 in points per game. Luckily, TTU also has one of the best defenses in the country, allowing opponents to score just 64.7 points with a 46.7 effective field-goal percentage.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Though Brad Underwood is no longer patrolling the sideline, the Lumberjacks are still an elite program in producing turnovers but they also give up an absurd number of turnovers themselves. Seven players on the team are averaging at least one steal per game while eight are averaging at least one turnover. If the refs swallow the whistles a bit, then Stephen F. Austin’s aggressive, physical play can keep the team in any game but that’s not a recipe for long-term success.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks vs Texas Tech Red Raiders Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks will try to spoil the party and cover the point spread on Thursday; they are 4-1 against the betting line this season, while the Texas Tech Red Raiders are 14-16-1 ATS. The Lumberjacks are 2-3 on betting the total; the Red Raiders are 14-17.

It's a betting matchup between the No. 93-rated Red Raiders and the No. 240-ranked Lumberjacks, according to the latest pro hoops power rankings here at OddsShark.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

Stephen F. Austin earned a 59-55 victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, getting 13 points from TJ Holyfield at Leonard E. Merrell Center.

Jarrett Culver scored 16 points in a futile effort to lead the Red Raiders to a win (they lost 66-63 to West Virginia at Sprint Center on Friday).

Texas Tech is 0-6-1 ATS in its last 7 games.home Stephen F. Austin is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games against the Big 12.away The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas Tech’s last 6 games.home
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