JT Toppin and No. 11 Texas Tech travel to UCF on Saturday for an 11 a.m. CT tipoff on ESPN. The Red Raiders (16-4, 6-1 Big 12) are coming off five consecutive wins, including a 90-86 top-10 win at home over No. 6 Houston last weekend. The Knights (16-4, 5-3 Big 12) are 3-2 through their last five games, including back-to-back wins at Colorado and Arizona State at home. Here is a prediction, preview, key storylines and updated odds.
TEXAS TECH VS. UCF UPDATED ODDS
Texas Tech opened up as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 159.5 points. The spread has moved to Texas Tech -5 or -5.5 in some sports books, while a couple have held steady at 4.5 (BETMGM). The over/under has held steady at 159.5 total points as of Saturday late morning.
KEY STORYLINE: SHOOTING FOR THE MOON
It’ll be a packed house at Addition Financial Arena for UCF’s traditional “Space Game,” which includes fun ties to the Kennedy Space Center and unique home uniforms. Moreover, the Knights are 11-2 at home this season and are itching for another top-25 win since defeating Kansas earlier this month. Texas Tech has fallen on the road only twice so far – at Illinois and Houston – and answered one of those already with a 90-86 home win over Houston last Saturday.
MATCH UP TO WATCH: MEETING JT TOPPIN AT THE RIM
Toppin is fresh off a 31-point performance in Texas Tech’s fifth consecutive win over Houston, and the star forward rests atop UCF’s scouting report as the Knights look to shut him off following his fourth double-double in five games. Jamichael Stillwell (12.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.8 apg) has a tall task ahead of him, and he’ll need a strong night on the boards if the Knights are going to get the possessions needed to get the Red Raiders on the run.
PREDICTION: TEXAS TECH 79, UCF 73
On the road, Texas Tech will get a real test from a UCF team that’s plenty capable of dealing damage from the 3-point line with guards Riley Kugel and Themus Fulks. But between Toppin and Lejuan Watts inside, and Christian Anderson dealing nearly 20 points per night in the frontcourt, the Red Raiders have plenty of firepower to bag this one on the road in Orlando.
