Texas Tech vs. Kansas Odds, Picks, and Predictions (3/12/22)

Texas Tech vs. Kansas Odds, Picks, and Predictions (3/12/22)

The Big 12 Tournament is coming to an end as the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and the Kansas Jayhawks face off in the final game to win the title. The Raiders barely made it through to the finals round after fighting a long battle with the Oklahoma Sooners to win by one point to advance. The Jayhawks made it look easy in both games they played, beating the West Virginia Mountaineers by 24 points and the TCU Horned Frogs by 13. For both teams, this will be the toughest matchup of the tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 PM CST on March 12th and can be viewed on ESPN and ESPN+.

Texas Tech vs. Kansas Betting Odds

This is the biggest game in conference tournaments being played today. Both teams have been absolutely destructive in the conference and have split their series 1-1 in the regular season. Both offenses have been fast-paced and nearly unstoppable, so big defensive plays will be the highlight of this matchup. Going into this game, Kansas is a slight favorite. The spread has been placed at -2.5 (-110) in favor of the Jayhawks, leaving the Raiders with +2.5 (-110). Kansas has a higher point average per game and has played better throughout the Big 12 Tournament compared to Texas Tech, so the momentum and history of play are leading many to believe Kansas will emerge victorious. The moneyline is -145 for Kansas and +125 for Texas Tech, but the Kansas moneyline will surely hit. Kansas has shown little to no weakness over the course of the regular and postseason, making it more plausible that they are more prepared. However, Texas Tech plays with such aggression that it is always hard to count them out. In the end, I find it more likely that Kansas can take home this win, but Texas Tech will keep this game close and interesting.

My Prediction: Kansas Wins 76-70, Kansas Covers

Texas Tech Red Raiders Odds

The showdown that was played last night between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners was a showcase of how phenomenal defense is what can carry a team. The Sooners did the thing not many teams do, play zone defense against Tech. Zone defense is the weakness of this fearful Texas Tech offense. Ultimately, the Raiders pulled off the narrow win and are now headed to play Kansas. In this matchup, it will be very exciting to see the aggressive defense of Texas Tech try to slow down the fast pace of the Kansas offense.

Texas Tech is one of the best teams we see play in the Division I brackets. They are in the top 25 teams in the country, landing in the 14th rank. In the Big 12 Tournament, they took the #3 seed and are now facing the #1 seed, Kansas. Texas Tech has beaten Kansas once already this season while at home and successfully forced turnovers on the Kansas defense. In total, the Jayhawks turned the ball over 17 times which helped lead the Raiders to victory. However, the Raiders will not have the help of their own stadium and crowd to frazzle the Jayhawks, so this game will require even more pressure to make up for that loss. Their biggest fault against Kansas is not securing the perimeter. Kansas shot 38.5% from beyond the three-point line in both meetings, which needs to be decreased for a Raiders Championship title. They also need to take advantage of their own deep shooter since they only made five threes when playing earlier in the season. Kevin Obanor and Shannon Terrence Jr will need to utilize their deep shot abilities, so the Kansas defense can put higher pressure on the perimeter to clear up under the basket. This can allow for crucial backdoor cuts from Obanor and Bryson Williams to make easier shots under the basket.

Kansas Jayhawks Odds

The Kansas Jayhawks have continuously proven why they deserved the #1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. They have blown through their competition so far, but Texas Tech may be their toughest challenge yet. Kansas has an incredible record when making it to the Big 12 Championship, going 11-3 in all Championship games. For this matchup, Kansas will need to be creative in getting Ochai Agbaji open in the field because Texas Tech’s defense will be all over him. Their defense is one of the best in the country, and there will be a specific extended pressure on Agbaji. In the past two meetings, Texas Tech has failed to stop Agbaji since he averages 30 points against Tech. However, the pressure is on for the chance at taking home this title so expect double-teaming and awareness of screens to put an end to Agbaji’s success.

The perimeter defense of Texas Tech is their biggest weakness, so the Jayhawks will be taking full advantage of that fact. Agbaji alone shoots 58.3%-66.7% from beyond the three-point line against this team. Other players like Jalen Coleman-Lands and Christian Braun should also be taking big attempts from deep in the court to add versatility to this offensive front. Shot under the basket should be controlled by Jalen Wilson, who averages 14.5 points against Texas Tech. 

Defensively, this team needs to be more rebound-focused. They were completely outrebounded when they lost to the Raiders earlier in the season. Tech was able to secure the ball 34 times when the Jayhawks only came down with it 24 times. Wilson needs to be aggressive play under the basket both offensively and defensively to ensure ball possession. Running a zone defense is the best plan of action against Texas Tech, as long as they can prevent the backdoor cuts for easy layups. Diligence is the one word that the Kansas Jayhawks need to possess in order to solidify a Big 12 Championship.

Texas Tech vs. Kansas Picks and Predictions

This game is sure to be electrifying as both teams are dedicated to excellence and winning. The Kansas Jayhawks are more likely to walk away with this win, so the Kansas moneyline would be a solid bet. The score has not been within two points between these teams all season, so the spread should fall with Kansas again. Ochai Agbaji’s player prop is set for 18.5 points, which can easily be archived for this star-studded senior guard. He averages 30 points against Texas Tech, so I would definitely feel very confident in his ability to score over 19 points in this final showdown.