In this Baylor vs. Texas Tech prediction, the 7th-seeded Bears square off against the 2nd-seeded Red Raiders in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO. The Bears, after a bye in round one, took down Kansas State on Wednesday night. The Red Raiders have won 24 games this season and closed out the season with wins in four of their last five games to earn the double-bye into the quarterfinals. The opening tap is scheduled for 7:00 pm EST. Read on for more in this Baylor/Texas Tech prediction and grab more NCAAB Predictions!
Baylor looks to advance
The Bears took care of business on Wednesday night to pick up their 19th win of the season and inch closer to a possible NCAA Tournament invite. The win completed a season sweep of Kansas State and set up a big matchup with Texas Tech on Thursday. The Bears jumped all over the Wildcats and built a 41-24 lead at the half. The Bears shot an impressive 53 percent in the first half and shut down the Wildcats’ 3-point attack, holding them to just 1-of-12 from beyond the arc in the first half. Freshman VJ Edgecombe led the way with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. Jayden Nunn scored 18 points off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting including 4-of-5 from 3-point range in the 70-56 Baylor win.
The Bears shot the ball well in the opener and will have to keep that up against a Red Raiders team that is third in the Big 12 in scoring. The Bears lost their only meeting with Texas Tech this season, on the road, 73-59. Defense could be an issue for Baylor in this game against the high-powered offense of Texas Tech. The Bears are just 12th in field goal defense and 16th in 3-point defense. They can’t afford another 59-point effort in this rematch or they’ll be heading home and sweating out a possible NCAA Tournament invite on Sunday. They will need to shoot closer to their season average, particularly from beyond the arc. Baylor was fifth in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting this season but shot just 30 percent at Lubbock earlier this season.
Key Injuries: F Josh Ojianwuna and F Yanis Ndjonga are out.
Red Raiders coming in hot
The Texas Tech Raiders finished one of the best seasons in team history with an overall record of 24-7, including 15-5 in the Big 12 Conference. The 15 wins were good enough to place the Red Raiders in second place, earning them two byes into the quarterfinals. The Red Raiders closed the season with four wins in their final five games. They are 1-0 against the Baylor Bears this season, holding the high-scoring Bears to just 59 points in a comfortable win at home earlier this season.
“I feel like nobody can stop us when we’re whole and we’re fully healthy,” Big 12 Player of the Year favorite JT Toppin said about his team’s chances.
The Red Raiders come into the tournament cooking on all cylinders, especially offensively. They have wins over Arizona, and Kansas, and handed Houston its loss in conference play. The Red Raiders will likely be looking at a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they advance to the tournament finals. Toppin led the team in points per game at over 18 and rebounds at over nine per contest. Guard Elijah Hawkins led the way in assists with over six per contest. The Red Raiders finished third in the conference in points per game. They are third in field goal shooting and second in 3-point shooting. The Raiders are also second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game. They are ranked 7th in the country in offensive efficiency. The Red Raiders are fourth in the Big 12 in points allowed per game. They are seventh in field goal defense and third in 3-point defense. The Red Raiders rank 27th in the nation in defensive efficiency. They are second in the Big 12 in scoring margin, 12th in turnover margin, and fifth in rebounding.
Key Injuries: F Devan Cambridge and G Jazz Henderson are out. F Eemeli Yalaho is questionable.
Best Bets for Baylor vs. Texas Tech
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Red Raiders come into the tournament winners of four of five and have arguably the best player in the conference in Toppin. This game should turn into a perimeter affair and the advantage shifts heavily in Texas Tech’s favor. The Red Raiders are second in 3-point shooting and second in 3-point field goals made per game in the Big 12. That doesn’t bode well for a Baylor team that ranks just 16th in the conference in 3-point defense. The Bears picked up a big win on Wednesday, reaching 19 wins on the season and holding some solid wins against the likes of St. John’s, Kansas, and West Virginia. Texas Tech is far too talented to come in with any bit of a letdown and the Bears may feel like they’ve earned a tournament invite already. The Red Raiders will roll.
Take Texas Tech
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The two teams went well under the number in the first matchup at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders showed, in that game, that they have a quality defense to go with their offense. Despite their ability to score, ranked 3rd in the Big 12 in scoring, the Red Raiders are methodical. They rank 277th in the country in pace of play. Baylor plays at an even slower pace, ranked 309th in the country in pace of play. These two teams know each other well and they’ll pace this game slowly and it’ll stay under the number.
Take the under.
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