Now Texas gets its say in the return game of this rivalry, after facing perhaps its most hostile crowd of the season when Texas Tech beat Texas by 13 points in Lubbock. This rivalry got dialed up to 11 when Chris Beard traded in the red of Texas Tech for the burnt orange of Texas while top assistant Mark Adams stayed behind and took over in Lubbock, and things should be just as intense this time around between the teams.
But there’s a big difference between this matchup and last time: the health of Kevin McCullar. In the first meeting, McCullar was the best player on the floor, getting to the free-throw line regularly and hitting his opportunities to help Texas Tech pull away. Now he’s dealing with injuries, which could make it tough for Texas Tech to play the same way it did in the last meeting. Throw in that the Red Raiders have lost three of their past four games away from Lubbock, and this could be a tough task for them.
Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Texas Longhorns Betting Analysis
Opening Betting Odds and Lines
| Texas Tech Red Raiders | vs. | Texas Longhorns |
| +150 | Moneyline | -196 |
| +3.5 | Spread | -3.5 |
| O126.5 | Total | U126.5 |
| (20-6 SU, 18-8 ATS) | Form | (19-7 SU, 12-14 ATS) |
When: 12.30 p.m, Saturday, February 19th
Where: Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
Betting the Total
Texas Tech is known for slowing the game down and playing great defense, but when it goes on the road, it’s been the one forced to play at a slow pace. The Red Raiders have averaged 60.25 points per game in their past four road games in regulation, and even that’s a bit skewed because they managed to score 75 in regulation at Kansas (and another 16 in overtime).
Plus, even if McCullar is healthy, what Texas Tech did in the first meeting is probably not sustainable. The Red Raiders are not a great 3-point shooting team most nights, but they hit 8-of-19 from behind the arc, including 5-for-7 from Kevin Obanor. Texas has likely made some adjustments and should be able to prevent the 3-point assault this time around. In three of the Longhorns’ past four home games, their opponent failed to break 60 points.
I recommend backing the Texas Tech team total Under 61.5 (-110) at PointsBet
Backing the Spread
Other than a blip at home against Kansas State, Texas has played very well in Austin. The Longhorns are 15-1 this season at the Erwin Center, and they’re coming off covers in their past two home games against Kansas and Iowa State. They do tend to struggle to cover when they get a big number at home, but 3.5 points seems pretty manageable for the Longhorns as long as they clean up the mistakes they made in Lubbock. Texas rebounds better than it showed in the first game, and it can’t allow itself to get outfought again the way it did the first time.
I think that outcome was because of Texas Tech’s adrenaline and the fans in Lubbock creating a hostile environment. This situation should be much more friendly to Texas.
My recommended play is Texas Longhorns -3.5 at (-110) at PointsBet
