Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State Odds, Picks, and Predictions (03/05/22)

Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State Odds, Picks, and Predictions (03/05/22)

The final game for the Big 12 teams are underway as we enter this weekend. The Texas Tech Red Raiders have finished their regular season undefeated at home and are on their way to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to wrap up the season against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. This matchup is set for this Saturday, March 5th, with tip-off taking place at 2:00 PM CST. Both teams have won their previous games and are seeking to end the regular season on a high note. This is the last game of the 2021-2022 season for the Cowboys since they are ineligible for the postseason due to conflicts with their previous assistant coach. The Red Raiders are playing to increase their seeding in March Madness since they previously dropped from the #9 seed to the #12 seed after losing to TCU. This matchup can be viewed on ESPN+ and will be a crucial game to end both teams’ seasons.

Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State Betting Odds

This matchup between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma State Cowboys is one of the more predictable games we will see this college basketball Saturday. The Red Raiders have been on fire all season and have comfortable placement going into the Big 12 Tournament and March Madness. The Cowboys are on a high after completely shutting down Iowa State in a very unexpected way that proves their defense can step up and shut down. However, Texas Tech has solidified their place as a top team and haven’t left much room for upsets throughout the season. The spread has been placed relatively marginal for what I had expected. Texas Tech is the favorite with a -3 point favor, which leaves Oklahoma State with limited room to cover. Oklahoma State has the worst cover rate in the Big 12, going 11-17-1 ATS. Texas Tech has the best cover rate in the Big 12, going 20-10 ATS. This game will be taking place in Stillwater, which leaves the Cowboys with a slight advantage, especially since the Raiders have had recent struggles on the road, but I will put my faith in the Raiders in this matchup.

My Prediction: Texas Tech Wins 69-60, Texas Tech Covers

Texas Tech Red Raiders Odds

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are one of the most fierce teams in Men’s Division I Basketball. They have gone 23-7 overall and 12-5 in the Big 12 conference play. They are comfortable in the third position in the Big 12 with the Texas Longhorns trailing behind them by two games, and they are only half of a game behind the second spot held by the Kansas Jayhawks. The Raiders are ranked twelfth nationally and have continued to play with excellence with a perfect record at their home stadium. When they last played Oklahoma State at home, they beat the Cowboys 78-57, like most of their other wins at home. However, they have lost two out of three of their last away games. They lost at Oklahoma 70-55 and at TCU 69-66 with a last-minute three-point shot just missing the buzzer. Oklahoma State had great success in their last matchup against Iowa State, beating them 53-36. The Cowboys are on a hot streak of momentum, making this game more difficult for the Raiders than their previous meeting. All seven of the team’s losses have been on the road, so this game may stir up trouble for the Raiders.

On average, the Raiders score 73.1 points per game. They score 21 more points per game compared to the average in Men’s Division I Basketball of all teams. The Raiders score 13.8 points more than the national average when away. Oklahoma State scores an average of 68.9 points per game but have been showing strength to stop their opponents in recent games. For this matchup, the Raiders will need another impressive game from Bryson Williams. He is the team’s top scorer with 14.1 points per game. Williams needs to find ways to undermine the Cowboys’ defense and drive to the basket. The Cowboys were successful in stopping one of the best players in the Big 12, Izaiah Brockington, and resulted in a devastating win. Williams cannot fall victim to the impressive defensive stops of the Cowboys, or the Raiders will end the regular season on a dim note and will drop further in the national standings.

Oklahoma State Cowboys Odds

The Oklahoma State Cowboys shocked the nation and really surprised me with their performance against the Iowa State Cyclones earlier this week. They were able to tie up the sixth position in the Big 12 after that win. They remain in this spot, with Iowa State with Oklahoma trailing one game behind. When playing Texas Tech on the road, they were crushed with the Red Raiders’ fighting spirit in their stadium. However, the Cowboys have the advantage of having their own home court. They have gone 9-6 at home with an overall record of 14-15. The Cowboys are currently 7-10 in conference play, and this is their last opportunity to change that record. They can take advantage of the recent failures of the Red Raiders and try to exploit the weaknesses under the basket and in the corners. When the Raiders played TCU, they failed to effectively guard for the drive and kick out to the corner, resulting in TCU’s success.

In order to take advantage of the corner opportunities, the Cowboys will need to feed the ball to their best three-point shooter, Avery Anderson III. The junior guard is the leading scorer on the team with 12.2 points per game. He is the most effective three-point scorer, shooting 33.7% from beyond the line. When the team last played Texas Tech, Anderson was unable to shoot or score any three-pointers due to the electric Raiders’ home defense. Now that the Raiders are on the road, the intensity of the defense will have been shaken, so more opportunities may arise. Anderson was very absent in the last meeting with Texas Tech, which left Oklahoma State at a huge disadvantage. Anderson was only able to secure two points in the last meeting, which came from two successful free throws. This time around, the Cowboys need to dominate the paint and feed the ball to Anderson if they want to be successful.

Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State Picks and Predictions

This game screams Texas Tech moneyline. The Cowboys have proven to be an upset team over the past few weeks, but the Raiders are one of the top teams in the nation, and I don’t believe they’ll leave room for risk to lose top placement in March Madness. The Cowboys are ineligible for postseason play, so they don’t have as much to fight for in this matchup, and the passion is deep within the heart of Texas Tech.