Baylor vs. Texas Tech Odds, Picks: Offensive Showcase Expected

Baylor vs. Texas Tech Odds

Tuesday, Jan. 17

9 p.m. ET

ESPNU

Baylor Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
+1.5 -104	144.5 -110o / -110u	+112

Texas Tech Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
-1.5 -118	144.5 -110o / -110u	-134

Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute college basketball odds here.

Baylor and Texas Tech meet on Tuesday night in a game both need to win in order to keep pace with Kansas at the top of the Big 12 standings.

For Texas Tech, this game is a must-win in order to turn its conference season around. The Red Raiders have yet to win a game in league play, losing five straight.

Similarly, Baylor sits at 2-3 in conference after dropping three straight to Iowa State, TCU and Kansas State to kick off Big 12 play. The Bears have been able to return to form, taking down West Virginia and Oklahoma State in their last two.

To get a better idea of which team will take this opportunity to keep their bearings in the Big 12 standings, let's take a look at the odds and make a prediction for Baylor vs. Texas Tech.

Baylor Bears

Baylor has been able to get its season back on track through an offense that ranks eighth nationally in adjusted efficiency. The Bears have three players averaging 13+ points per game, and as a result, average just over 80 points per game.

During their three-game conference losing streak, the Bears were still able to average 81.3 points per game. They were simply outgunned by Iowa State, TCU and Kansas State.

Baylor's offense will look to continue this elite production against a Texas Tech team struggling to defend the perimeter.

The Red Raiders allow 34.7% of their points to come from beyond the 3-point line, allowing teams to shoot 40% of their shots from this range.

This failure to extend their defense will be tested by a Baylor team possessing the 26th-highest rate of 3-point attempts. The Bears shoot 45.2% of their shots from beyond the arc. Baylor has been able to convert 36.1% of these attempts, which is inside the top-75 nationally.

As of late senior shooting guard LJ Cryer has returned to form, knocking down 4-of-5 3-point shots in the Bears' victory against Oklahoma State.

This form by Cryer is important for a Baylor team, which dropped its Big 12 opener to Iowa State without Cryer in the lineup.

Look for Baylor's offense to continue rolling, specifically from beyond the arc.

The must-have app for college basketball bettors

The best NCAAB betting scoreboard

Free picks from proven pros

Live win probabilities for your bets

DOWNLOAD NOW

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Texas Tech's season has reached desperation mode after losing all five of its games in conference. The Red Raiders have yet to record a win against a team inside the top 100, with their best victory coming on November 14 against Louisiana Tech.

However poor these results, Texas Tech has still been able to produce 76.2 points per game as a result of a 54.5% effective field goal percentage, the 30th-highest rate in the country.

In addition, Texas Tech is able to score 20.3% of its points from the free-throw line, the 80th-highest rate in the country. This ability to create contact will be important against Baylor, which has allowed its opponents to score 20% of their points from the charity stripe, the 88th-highest rate.

In order to get its first Big 12 win of the season, Texas Tech will need to match Baylor's high-octane offense. I expect them to do so, as the Red Raiders have shown an ability to create quality shots despite their recent results.

Baylor vs. Texas Tech Betting Pick

This is a game Texas Tech must win to start to salvage any hopes of making the NCAA tournament. In order to do this, it will need to keep pace with a Baylor offense ready to expose Tech's inability to consistently guard the perimeter.

Luckily for the Red Raiders, creating high-quality shots and getting to the free-throw line are two areas they have excelled at despite their losing streak.

Additionally, these are two areas Baylor's defense has struggled in, ranking 150th in effective field goal percentage and 270th in free-throw attempts allowed.

I expect a back-and-forth offensive showcase between two teams capable of putting up points in bunches.

Pick: Over 146.5 or Better

Bet the Over Instantly at FanDuel With QuickSlip