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Matchup: TCU Horned Frogs 16-5 (5-4) at Texas Tech Red Raiders 18-6 (7-4)
Where to Watch: Big 12/ESPN+
Money line: Texas Tech -10.5 O/U 129.5
With only seven games left in the regular season for the Red Raiders things are getting tight in the conference picture. While it’s highly unlikely that Tech wins the conference, winning six out of the next seven games is something that is attainable and could lead to higher seeding in the NCAA tournament. It’s hard to say that finishing second or third in the conference will give the Red Raiders a better matchup in the conference tournament because really every team is going to be a tough matchup that late in the year.
Todays game against TCU is a matchup of two teams with NCAA tournament aspirations. Texas Tech can get as high as a one seed with a nice stretch of wins, while the Horned Frogs are likely in with a few more wins down the stretch and are looking to boost that resume. Both teams are solid defensively and have capable offenses that are capable of scoring with anyone when they play solid on the defensive end.
Mike Miles is the leading scorer for the Horned Frogs and is expected to return from a wrist injury which is huge for TCU. He is one of four guys that average double-digit points per game and is going to need to have a solid outing if the Horned Frogs want to come into Lubbock and pull of the upset.
One thing that is certain is that this team will not beat Texas Tech from the three. They have no one shooting remotely close to a respectable percentage from deep and will heavily rely on scoring from inside. Oklahoma was very lucky in how they beat Tech and that isn’t something that I believe TCU can replicate.
They also only have two guys that shoot over 70% from the free throw line, so this isn’t a team that if we get into foul trouble with will kill us from the line.
The key to this game for Texas Tech is going to be finding the best possible shot and not forcing anything up. We were the better team on paper against Oklahoma but shot an abysmal 11.8% from deep. We shot ourselves out of that game due to poor shot selection and letting them find the better shots and capitalizing.
I would like to see TJ Shannon take over a game like this if he is healthy enough. At some point during these last seven games either he or someone else is going to have to step up as the go-to guy when we need a bucket. He has shown that at points during the season but not consistent enough, mostly due to not being healthy. I would like to see him have a big day today alongside Kevin Obanor and Bryson Williams. Williams has been our most consistent player all year and should have another solid day today, and Obanor just needs to find his shot and keep shooting because we’re going to need to rely on him late.
I predict a 74-68 close call. The spread is big but that’s likely due to the late news of Mike Miles being healthy. TCU is a tough team and is going to give us a fight, but we should be able to pull this one out and get back on the winning track.