The Texas Tech Red Raiders take on the Houston Cougars in Houston, Texas. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Houston is favored by 6 points on the spread with a moneyline of -260. The total is set at 142.5 points.
Here’s my Texas Tech vs. Houston prediction and college basketball picks for January 6, 2026.
Texas Tech vs. Houston Odds, Spread, Pick
| Texas Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6 -110 | 142.5 -110o / -110u | +210 |
| Houston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6 -110 | 142.5 -110o / -110u | -260 |
My Pick: Texas Tech +6.5 (Play to +6)
My Texas Tech vs Houston best bet is on the Red Raiders against the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Texas Tech vs Houston NCAAB Betting Preview
Texas Tech Basketball
Just one year ago, the Red Raiders beat the Cougars in the Fertitta Center on a night JT Toppin was ejected. We'll see if Texas Tech can recreate the same magic here.
Offense is the strength of this Red Raiders squad, as they rank 13th in KenPom's offensive efficiency. Their attack starts by getting the ball inside to All-American big man JT Toppin and then veteran spraying to shooters.
Toppin leads the Red Raiders with 21 points per game, and they attempt 3s on 45% of their field goals.
Plus, Toppin has the help of arguably the best point guard in the country, Christian Anderson. Anderson has really developed nicely, leading the Red Raiders with 20.5 points and 7.6 assists per game.
That's a duo that good should help Texas Tech compete in any game.
Of late, Texas Tech found something on the defensive end. It felt weird for a team coached by Grant McCasland to be a truly woeful defense, but from the final 10 minutes of the Duke game to the end of the Oklahoma State game, things looked different.
The Cowboys scored just 1.05 PPP, while Winthrop scored well below 1.00. Duke could barely score in crunch time, too.
The key to any game against a Kelvin Sampson-coached team is rebounding, and the Red Raiders have done well enough on the glass. They rank 137th in defensive rebounding rate, and held Duke to just seven offensive boards.
Houston Basketball
Houston is still a bit of a mystery. The Cougars, who entered the season as the No. 1 in KenPom, are barely a top-10 team today.
Still, they have just one loss, but they don't have the Houston dominance we've grown accustomed to.
So, what's up with Houston? Well, the Cougars' defense isn't quite what it was last season. They had the best defense in America, but this season, they currently sit eighth in defensive efficiency.
The biggest warning sign is the Cougars' 2-point defense. You can usually lock them into a top-10 spot in that aspect, but they're 39th this season — the worst for a Houston team since 2017.
To me, it feels like Houston is missing a bruising big man duo. JoJo Tugler is terrific and freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. is very talented. However, Cenac looks a bit green at times.
It's nice to see Houston have a 6-foot-11 forward who can shoot, don't get me wrong, but that isn't what Sampson built this program on.
Plain and simple, the guard trio of Emanuel Sharp, Kingston Flemings and Milos Uzan has to play well for them to succeed.
In the Cougars' win over Cincinnati, Uzan scored 18 points and hit four 3s, but Sharp had two points and went 0-of-9 from the field. Uzan has been a shell of himself this season, but it was nice to see him start hitting shots. It would be nice to see all three of the guards play well, though.
Flemings is the X-factor in many ways. He has more talent than most of Houston's guards, with his overall scoring creativity to pair with his underrated passing prowess.
Texas Tech vs. Houston Betting Analysis
I'm going to take Texas Tech with the points. Houston had to scrap and claw to beat Middle Tennessee by nine and Cincinnati did everything it could to lose by seven and blow the cover.
The Cougars are fine with slowing the game down, like usual. They rank 353rd in adjusted tempo, so I expect them to be content with a win in the 60s or low 70s.
The Red Raiders' duo of Anderson and Toppin is good enough to score on any defense. They'll need the supporting cast to shoot well. Donovan Atwell is shooting over 40% from deep, and freshman Jaylen Petty is emerging.
So, I feel good about the Red Raiders hitting enough shots and rebounding enough to keep the game to two possessions.
My Pick: Texas Tech +6.5 (Play to +6)
