#11 BYU vs. #15 Texas Tech Picks and Predictions: Ranked Big 12 Battle

The Big 12 might be the toughest conference in college basketball this season, and as we have a top 15 ranked showdown in Lubbock this weekend. While the No. 11 BYU Cougars are sitting right behind the Arizona Wildcats at the top of the Big 12 standings, they have a tough game against the No. 15 Texas Tech Red Raiders on the road. Tech comes into this game sitting sixth in the conference after a 3-1 start, but can they take down AJ Dybantsa and the Cougars? Let's find out with our favorite picks.

Best Bet: BYU/Texas Tech Under 159.5 (-110) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

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#11 BYU Cougars vs. #15 Texas Tech Red Raiders NCAA Basketball Insights

Christian Anderson and the Red Raiders need a big win at home against BYU

BYU has been nearly perfect all year long. They are 16-1 on the season with their one slip up coming against the UConn Huskies at TD Garden in Boston, so it was essentially an away game for the Cougars who were a long way from home. They battled in that game and covered the spread, losing by just two points to a very good Huskies team. Now they bring a 13 game winning streak into Lubbock, looking to stay perfect in Big 12 play.

But it won't come easy, as Texas Tech is a very tough opponent, especially at home. The Red Raiders are 13-4 with four forgivable losses, dropping games to Illinois on the road, to Purdue and Arkansas on a neutral site, and to Houston on the road, where they covered on a buzzer beating half court shot. Can they earn themselves a big win on Saturday? Or did they use up all their magic beating the Duke Blue Devils at Madison Square Garden?

Matchup Information – BYU vs. Texas Tech – January 17

• Venue & Location: United Supermarkets Arena (Lubbock, TX)
• Date: Saturday, January 17, 2025
• Kick Off: 8:00 p.m. Eastern
• Broadcast: ESPN

BYU vs. Texas Tech Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of January 16, 2025 at 3:08 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with and get a $1,250 deposit bonus, as well as 50 slot spins immediately. Lucky Rebel Sportsbook offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.

Spread

• BYU +2.5 (+100)
• Texas Tech -2.5 (-120)

Moneyline

• BYU +138
• Texas Tech -166

Total

• Over 159.5 (-110)
• Under 159.5 (-110)

We are in for a treat, as getting to watch AJ Dybantsa and JT Toppin go back and forth will certainly be entertaining. However, as much as people are going to want to press that over button because of those two future NBA draft picks, I believe betting the under is the way to wager on this matchup.

#11 BYU vs. #15 Texas Tech NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions

Richie Saunders plays over 30 minutes a game and puts up 19.3 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Cougars

BYU vs. Texas Tech Prediction: BYU Wins Outright, Under 159.5

Best Bet: BYU/Texas Tech Under 159.5 (-110) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

We have two great offenses, there's no denying that. However, Texas Tech will do everything in their power to limit BYU's offensive possessions, as slowing down their offense is the only way to win. It's tough to keep up with them by scoring. Now, Texas Tech is a team that does a lot of things right on offense. They shoot plenty of threes (top 50 3P rate) and knock them down (top 25 3P%), however they struggle to get to the free throw line. The Red Raiders are bottom 40 in FT rate, but defensively, they almost break the top 30 in terms of adjusted efficiency.

But BYU has the tools on defense to combat Texas Tech's perimeter shooting. The Cougars are top 50 in terms of pace, but drop 20 spots on the road, leading me to believe they will slow down to the Red Raiders' pace. While BYU allows a decent amount of threes, they get in your face and contest shots, ranking top 35 in 3P% defense, holding opponents to under 30% from beyond the arc. With the amount of threes the Red Raiders take, and their minimal free throw attempts, they tend to live and die by their shots from downtown. It's worth noting, BYU is also top 20 in FT rate defense.

The Red Raiders shot less than 27% in two of their losses (against Illinois and Purdue) and just 32% against Houston (less than 30% if Christian Anderson misses the meaningless half courter). I see them having a hard time from downtown against the length of the Cougars, which is why I will be betting this game under.

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