Utah State vs Texas Tech Odds, Lines, and Spread
- Texas Tech is a four-point favorite against Utah State on Friday in an NCAA Tournament first-round game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
- Texas Tech advanced to the championship game of the last NCAA tourney in 2019
- The odds, analysis, and prediction for Utah State-Texas Tech can be found below
Texas Tech will begin trying to replicate what it did in the last NCAA Tournament – and perhaps go one step further – when the Red Raiders face Utah State at 1:45 p.m. ET Friday in a South Region first-round game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN.
Texas Tech reached the championship game in 2019 before losing to Virginia in overtime. Last year’s tournament was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
No. 6 seed Texas Tech is 17-10 this season and has lost back-to-back games but is favored in this one.
No. 11 Utah State has a 20-8 record and had its six-game winning streak end last Saturday with a 68-57 loss to San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference Tournament championship game as a two-point underdog.
Utah State vs Texas Tech Odds
| Team | Moneyline at FanDuel | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah State | +160 | +4 (-110) | Over 131 (-110) |
| Texas Tech | -190 | -4 (-110) | Under 131 (-110) |
Odds as of March 18.
Tough Ending for Tech
Texas Tech lost to Texas 67-66 in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament last Thursday as a 1.5-point favorite. Texas scored the last six points and Matt Coleman made two free throws with 1.8 seconds remaining to win it.
The poor finish overshadowed a fine effort by sophomore guard Terrance Shannon Jr. He led Texas Tech with 18 points.
Sophomore guard Kevin McCullar added 11 points and had six of Texas Tech’s 13 steals. The Red Raiders, who took an early 17-7 lead but were unable to hold it, lost despite forcing Texas into 20 turnovers.
Senior forward Marcus Santos-Silva also had a solid all-round game with 10 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. The VCU transfer just missed his third double-double of the season. The others came in Texas Tech’s first two games.
Texas Tech’s leading scorer, senior guard Mac McClung, was held to seven points on 3-of-8 shooting. He is averaging 15.7 points per game. McClung has struggled lately, though, being held to single digits in three of the last four games.
McClung is one of four Red Raiders with double-digit scoring averages along with Shannon (12.7), McCullar (10.1), and junior guard Kyler Edwards (10.0).
https://twitter.com/cjmarchesani/status/1359651038664491013
McCullar also has averages of 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals. Santos-Silva is scoring 8.5 points and grabbing 6.5 rebounds a game.
Queta Hidden Gem
Utah State junior center Neemias Queta has not gotten a lot of national publicity but he has been one of college basketball’s top big men this season. He is averaging a double-double and was named the the Mountain West’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Queta’s is averaging 15.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.2 blocked shots. He is a big reason why Utah State ranks eighth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing 89.3 points per 100 possessions, according to KenPom.com.
Neemias Queta is just sending everything back tonight.pic.twitter.com/9ah79R8OJJ
— Heat Check CBB (@HeatCheckCBB) March 13, 2021
In the loss to San Diego State in the MWC final, Queta had 18 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. That ended his streak of eight straight double-doubles. Queta scored 18 points in each of the three tourney games.
Junior forward Justin Bean contributed 12 points and six rebounds.
The Aggies’ 57 points were also nearly 17 below their season average of 73.9 entering the game. They shot just 37.3% (19 of 51) and had 16 turnovers.
Utah State had allowed an average of 58.5 points during its six-game winning streak before San Diego State scored 68.
The top backcourt scorer for Utah State is junior Marco Anthony at 10.0 points a game. He is also averaging 5.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Who Will Win?
Utah State is a trendy pick to pull the upset in this game. However, Texas Tech can also play defense as it is 24th in ADE at 91.5 points per 100 possessions.
The Red Raiders are a better offensive team and that will make the difference as they advance to play either #3 Arkansas or #14 Colgate in the second round.
Pick: Texas Tech -4 (-110)
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
