The No. 10 Texas Tech Red Raiders are in Provo, Utah on Saturday night to take on the BYU Cougars for a tip off at 9:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. The Red Raiders (22-8, 12-5 Big 12) are looking to bounce back from a 73-65 loss at the hands of TCU; the Cougars (20-10, 8-9) are hopeful to close out the regular season with some sense of normalcy after falling out of the top 25. Here’s our prediction, preview, updated odds and key storylines to get you ready for the match up between Big 12 foes.
Texas Tech vs. BYU Basketball Odds
The BYU Cougars opened up as a 2.5-point favorite, with an over/under of 159.5 total points. By the time we got towards tip off on Saturday night, BYU’s spread had held steady, while the over/under had ticked down to 158.5 total points.
Key Storyline: Let’s Be Honest, This Should Be a Bigger Game Than It Is
Not long ago, this game looked like it’d be a top-25 thriller featuring two of the Big 12’s top talents in BYU freshman forward AJ Dybantsa and Texas Tech veteran guard JT Toppin. But the latter will be missing for Saturday’s matchup, and the Cougars, also without a key contributor in Richie Saunders, are coming off three straight losses, including a 90-68 collapse at Cincinnati on Monday. Still, both teams have a lot to play for as they enter the league tournament and Selection Sunday.
Match Up to Watch: Lejuan Watts and AJ Dybantsa
Texas Tech junior forward Lejuan Watts will have his hands full with arguably the best big man in the country in Dybantsa. The question is, can he do his job enough to allow Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell the space needed to hit some big-time shots from outside? Cincinnati tallied 10 triples against BYU earlier in the week.
Prediction: BYU 79, Texas Tech 75
It’s been a rough road for BYU since losing Saunders to injury, and the fans at the Marriott Center will be hungry for a win on Saturday night. Still, Texas Tech can help its own resume and cover doubts regarding JT Toppin’s absence with a big-time win on the road. The Cougars are not a deep postseason team, it seems, but a game like this, after the second half they’ve had, would be a nice reset of sorts entering the league tournament next week.
