Kansas vs Texas Tech Preview: Red Raiders Slight Favorites
No. 4 Kansas Underdogs as McCullar is Questionable
The No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks visit the No. 23 Texas Tech Red Raiders on Monday’s small NCAA basketball schedule. Kansas leading scorer Kevin McCullar missed Saturday’s game with Baylor and is questionable for this one. Kansas is in third place in the Big 12 Conference standings, one game behind Houston. The Red Raiders are 1.5 games out with a 6-4 conference record. Texas Tech ended a three-game losing streak by defeating UCF last game. The Kansas vs Texas Tech preview shows the Red Raiders are favored by 2.5 points and the total on the game is 147.
Jayhawks vs Red Raiders 
Location: United Supermarkets Arena, Lubbock, Texas
Day/Time: Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Kansas on 3-Game Road Losing Skid
The Jayhawks have had their share of problems on the road this season. Kansas is just 3-4 straight-up and 2-4-1 against the point spread. That’s not good news against a Texas Tech team that is 12-1 at home this season. The Jayhawks are 3-1 in neutral court games. For the season, the Jayhawks are 10-12-1 against the spread and 11-11-1 in totals. In Big 12 games, Kansas has gone 5-6 against the number and 6-4-1 in totals. While the Jayhawks are No. 4 in the polls, Kansas is No. 14 in the KenPom college basketball rankings.
The Jayhawks are solid offensively, averaging 78.1 points per game. Kansas is No. 32 in Ken Pomeroy’s offensive efficiency ratings overall and No. 3 in the Big 12 in conference games. The Jayhawks are a betting shooting team from the inside, ranking first in conference play with a 58.2% rate. Kansas doesn’t make a lot of turnovers but doesn’t grab many offensive rebounds. In conference games, the Jayhawks are scoring 61.9% of their points from 2-point range. Only 16.3% of points come from the foul line, which is No. 11 in the conference.
Defensively, the Jayhawks have done a decent job, ranking No. 6 in conference efficiency rankings. The NCAAB scores show Kansas is allowing 70.2 points a game in Big 12 play compared to 67.5 points overall. The Jayhawks are best in the conference in 2-point defense. But they allow 34.5% on 3-pointers. Kansas does a little better than average preventing offensive rebounds and forcing turnovers.
Red Raiders Need to Pick Up Defense
Texas Tech can get the job done offensively. The Red Raiders are No. 1 in the Big 12 Conference in the KenPom offensive efficiency ratings. But Texas Tech is No. 13 in defense. The Red Raiders are allowing 68.4 points per game. But that number climbs to 73.6 points in conference games. As a result, the Red Raiders are 4-5-1 against the spread and 8-2 in total in conference games. Texas Tech has one of the best home court advantages in all of college basketball. But the Red Raiders are just 6-7 ATS at home despite their 12-1 straight-up record.
In conference games, Texas Tech is shooting 40.2% from 3-point range, the best in the conference. The Red Raiders also lead the Big 12 in free throw shooting at 77.4%. Texas Tech isn’t going to make many turnovers. But they grab many offensive rebounds. The Red Raiders are scoring 34% of their conference points on 3-point attempts. That’s the second-most of any team.
On defense, Texas Tech is allowing teams to shoot 37% on 3-pointers. The Red Raiders allow more offensive rebounds than any team in the conference. The team’s 2-point defense is pretty much middle of the pack. The one thing the Red Raiders do well is not send teams to the foul line. But that’s pretty much it.
What to Expect
The Kansas vs Texas Tech preview shows a difference in style between the two teams. Kansas takes just 16.7 seconds per possession, the fastest pace in the conference. Texas Tech is No. 11 at 18.5 seconds per possession.
Kansas is going to look to get the ball inside, even though that’s the stronger suit for the Red Raiders defensively. The Jayhawks aren’t terrible shooting the 3-pointer, but only take 17.6 per game.
The Red Raiders are going to put up their share of 3-pointers. Texas Tech attempts 23.2 per game and is pretty solid behind the arc. Kansas is better defending the inside, so it makes sense for the Red Raiders to attack the perimeter.
Who to Bet On?
The Kansas vs Texas Tech preview notes a small line movement overnight. Texas Tech climbed from -2 to -2.5, while the total dropped slightly from 147.5 to 147. The oddsmakers are taking into account how the teams play home and away. But the Kansas injury factor may also have a bit to do with the move. The Jayhawks are expecting Dajuan Harris to be back here. But McCullar could be a different story.
The line move on the total makes the most sense. Kansas could look to play a little slower and put more emphasis on defense if McCullar isn’t in the line-up or close to 100%. From that perspective, taking the under 147 looks to be the best play in this game.
Jayhawks vs Red Raiders Odds
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