Texas Tech, Houston Bringing the D to Fort Worth

Points could be at a premium Sunday as the Texas Tech Red Raiders tangle with the Houston Cougars in a meeting of nationally-ranked teams at the Southwest Showcase in Fort Worth. Both teams have played exemplary defense through their first two games, with the Red Raiders (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) allowing 55 points per game and Houston (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) at 51.5.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Red Raiders opened as 2.5-point favorites, but the line has risen to -3 at most sportsbooks. The total is headed in the other direction, dropping from an Sportsbook of 138 down to 136.5 in most spots.

Texas Tech News & Notes

The Red Raiders really haven't been tested through their first two games, trouncing Northwestern State and Sam Houston State by a combined 85 points. And the suffocating defense has been at the heart of those one-sided victories, with Texas Tech limiting the Demons and Bearkats to a combined 33 percent from the field and a minuscule 21.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Bettors shouldn't discount the Raiders' offensive performance, either, with the team averaging 92.5 points so far. While the sledding will be much tougher Sunday, Texas Tech isn't short on viable options in this one, including forward Marcus Santos-Silva, who averages 11 points and 10.5 rebounds in just 18 minutes of action per game.

Houston News & Notes

The Cougars haven't had as easy a time through their first two games, but have looked just as impressive nonetheless. Coming into the season with high hopes of a deep NCAA Tournament run, Houston easily covered in an 89-45 season-Sportsbook rout of Lamar before fending off a game Boise State team 68-58 behind a game-high 25 points from Quentin Grimes.

Grimes is part of an impressive three-headed guard rotation that has provided the bulk of the Houston offense to date; he, Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark average a combined 49.5 points per game and have connected on 15 of their 34 3-point attempts. Houston has also been one of the more active teams on the boards, having racked up 98 rebounds through two games.

Betting Pick: UNDER 136.5 (-110)

The only competitive game either of these teams have played so far finished in the mid-120s – and while both sides can fill the basket, we see this one as more of a defensive struggle than the current total suggests.