The No. 18 Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-6) meet the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats (14-4) at United Supermarkets Arena. The game starts at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 25, 2020, and will air on ESPN.
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders ATS Prediction
The last time the Wildcats played, they defeated the Georgia Bulldogs, 89-79. The Wildcats knocked down 26 of their 33 free throws (78.8 percent) and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 38.7 (above their season average of 31.1). With 23 points on 8-for-17 shooting, Ashton Hagans was the game’s leading scorer.
The Red Raiders fell to the TCU Horned Frogs in their last game, 65-54. TCU’s 0.224 free throw rate was their largest strength over Texas Tech, who had a mark of 0.118. The Horned Frogs’ mark was above their season average of 0.151, while the Red Raiders’ was below their season average of 0.274. With 15 points on 6-for-14 shooting, Jahmi’us Ramsey was Texas Tech’s high scorer.
Baskets could be hard to come by in this battle between a pair of the nation’s best defenses. Texas Tech ranks 17th in defensive efficiency (88.4) and Kentucky is 49th (92.3).
Kentucky vs. Texas Tech ATS Pick
Free College Basketball Pick: ATS Winner – Kentucky, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
Texas Tech ranks 50th in steals per game (7.9) while Kentucky ranks 183rd (5.3).
The Red Raiders rank 190th in three pointers attempted per game (20.9) while the Wildcats rank 295th (15.1).
Kentucky ranks 21st in blocks per game (5.2) while Texas Tech ranks 84th (3.6).
The Red Raiders rank 18th in assists per game (16.4) while the Wildcats rank 57th (14.8).
Kentucky ranks 46th in rebounds allowed per game (32.2) while Texas Tech ranks 79th (33.4).
The Wildcats’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.4, down from 11.0 for the season.
During their last five games, the Red Raiders have scored an average of 61.8 points per game (10.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 60.6 points per game (1.2 below their season average).