In their final home game of the season, the No. 2 Baylor Bears (25-3, 14-2 Big 12) host the No. 22 Texas Tech Red Raiders (18-11, 9-7 Big 12) at Ferrell Center. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Monday, March 2, 2020, and will air on ESPN.
Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Baylor Bears Free Prediction
The opening line at Pointsbet Iowa has the home team Baylor as 7.5 point favorites over in state rival Texas Tech and a total set at 129.
The Red Raiders are trying to rebound after their 68-58 loss to the Texas Longhorns in their last matchup. Texas’ 0.630 effective field goal percentage was their biggest advantage over Texas Tech, who had a rate of 0.461. The Longhorns’ mark was above their season average of 0.503, while the Red Raiders’ was below their season average of 0.520. Jahmi’us Ramsey led Texas Tech in scoring with 13 points on 4-for-13 shooting.
The last time the Bears played, they let one slip away to the TCU Horned Frogs, 75-72. One of TCU’s largest strengths was getting to the free throw line. They made 32 trips to the line, while Baylor went 22 times. With 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting, Freddie Gillespie led Baylor in scoring.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, the Red Raiders lost 57-52. Ramsey led both teams with 20 points and also added five rebounds. The Bears had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (53.1 vs. 27.0) and had a better free throw rate (0.176 vs. 0.093).
Points could be at a premium in this battle between a pair of the country’s premier defenses. Baylor currently ranks sixth in defensive efficiency (89.6) and Texas Tech is 16th (91.9).
Texas Tech vs. Baylor Betting Pick
Prediction: ATS Winner – Baylor, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
Baylor ranks 85th in rebounds per game (37.3) while Texas Tech ranks 247th (33.3).
The Red Raiders rank 64th in blocks per game (4.0) while the Bears rank 188th in blocks allowed per game (4.9).
Texas Tech ranks 24th in assists per game (15.4) while Baylor ranks 92nd (14.0).
The Bears rank 39th in steals per game (7.9) while the Red Raiders rank 102nd in steals allowed per game (6.2).
The Red Raiders’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 2.0, down from 9.2 for the season.
During their last five games, the Bears have scored an average of 70.6 points per game (0.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 63.6 points per game (4.3 above their season average).