Iowa State vs Texas Tech Picks and Odds NCAAB Jan 5
Iowa State vs Texas Tech Predictions
WagerTalk and GoldSheet Director of Content James Bunting offers his Iowa State vs Texas Tech betting preview for Wednesday, January 5. At the time of posting, the Cyclones have opened as a 2.5-point home favorite over the visiting Red Raiders, with the total sitting at 126 points.
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| Wednesday, January 5 | Big XII Basketball Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Iowa State Cyclones -2.5 vs Texas Tech Red Raiders |
| Total: | 126 Points |
| Game Time: | 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT |
| Arena: | Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa |
| TV: | ESPNU |
Iowa State vs Texas Tech Analysis
Neither of these two teams have played a particularly difficult schedule thus far, but Texas Tech’s has really been dreadful. According to KenPom, the Red Raiders have played the No. 356 schedule, and the opponents have been equally bad on offense (No. 348) as they’ve been on defense (No. 358).
The only quality win that Texas Tech has on its resume thus far is an overtime win against Tennessee at Madison Square Garden, which was an abysmal basketball game (44-44 at the end of regulation).
There are a lot of intangibles that point toward Iowa State in this Big XII matchup. Texas Tech has only played one true road game this season, and they lost (at Providence). The Red Raiders haven’t played since last Tuesday, while Iowa State put in a very strong performance against No. 1 Baylor over the weekend. Iowa State hasn’t left the Hilton Coliseum in 32 days, so there hasn’t been any travel, hotels or outside influences to deal with.
Neither Terrence Shannon, Jr. nor Mylik Wilson are expected to return tonight for Texas Tech, which means the Red Raiders won’t have a true point guard and turnovers have been an issue. The Red Raiders committed 18 turnovers in their last game against Alabama State, and that’s a recipe for disaster against an Iowa State squad that’s No. 5 in the country in forcing them.
Lay the small number with Iowa State on Wednesday night.
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Iowa State vs Texas Tech Preview from GoldSheet
No reason to jump off of the Ames bandwagon just because the Cyclones fell a couple of buckets short vs. the top-ranked team in the nation (Baylor) on Saturday. After all, that was just the first loss of the season for T.J. Otzelberger and hardly sidetracked his emerging case for Coach of the Year as ISU chased to Bears to the wire.
With four more ranked teams on deck in the next five games (starting tonight with the No. 25 Red Raiders), that effort suggests the Cyclones ought to be able to hold their own as the Big 12 meatgrinder commences.
Indeed, it’s hard to fathom that ISU won just twice a season ago, as Otzelberger hit the jackpot with a couple of Big Ten transfers (ex-Penn State G Izaiah Brockington, who has emerged as a much-needed go-to scorer at 17 ppg; and ex-Minnesota G Gabe Kalscheur), while go-go frosh PG Tyrese Hunter, though hitting a few bumps lately, completes a brand new, highly-upgraded perimeter.
Otzelberger’s past South Dakota State & UNLV teams also didn’t play defense like this Cyclone edition, which (aside from Hunter) is older and has proven adept at mixing post traps and ball-screen coverages, while forcing opposing playmakers to play toward the sideline. This might prove a problem for Mark Adams’ Texas Tech, whose scorelines have significantly reduced (including five straight “under” results) the past month, coinciding with the absence of top scorer Terrence Shannon, Jr. (14.3 ppg) due to recurring back spasms, and expected to miss again on Wednesday along with UL-Lafayette transfer PG Mylik Wilson, who has missed the past four weeks after minor knee surgery.
Having lost their two toughest tests vs. Providence and Gonzaga (minus both Shannon and Wilson for the latter), not sure the Red Raiders are in condition to go on the road and take down a ranked foe, and one that has offered such good spread value to boot (ISU 9-2 last 11 vs. line).
NCAAB Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his College Basketball Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Wednesday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Iowa State vs Texas Tech contest.
Happy Hour Tip-Off Show
Get your daily fix of college hoops betting information with Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of handicapping guests. The Happy Hour Tip-Off Show will broadcast Monday through Friday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT. Pull up a barstool and join us as we break down tonight’s college basketball card, including this Iowa State vs Texas Tech clash, from a sports betting perspective.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the college basketball point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Wednesday’s NCAAB games, including this Iowa State vs Texas Tech showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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