West virginia vs texas tech predictions

The No. 14 Texas Tech Red Raiders and the West Virginia Mountaineers will face off in a Big 12 clash at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday at the WVU Coliseum. West Virginia is 13-8 overall and 10-2 at home, while the Red Raiders are 17-5 overall and 1-4 on the road. Texas Tech picked up a 78-65 victory when these teams met in Texas two weeks ago. 

The Red Raiders are favored by 4.5 points in the latest West Virginia vs. Texas Tech odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under is set at 130.5. Before entering any Texas Tech vs. West Virginia picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on WVU vs. Texas Tech. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Texas Tech vs. WVU:

• West Virginia vs. Texas Tech spread: Texas Tech -4.5
• West Virginia vs. Texas Tech over-under: 130 points

Featured Game | West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders

What you need to know about West Virginia

West Virginia put up a great fight against No. 8 Baylor on Monday night, but the Mountaineers eventually fell in an 81-77 decision, extending their losing streak to six games. They were paced by senior guard Taz Sherman, who scored a career-high 29 points and hit six 3-pointers. However, Sherman left the game with a concussion and is not expected to play on Saturday. 

Sherman averages 18.9 points per game, so Sean McNeil would be the team's only double-digit scorer on the court if Sherman is unable to go. This is the first time that West Virginia has been on a six-game skid since the 2012-13 season. The Mountaineers are 8-1 in their last nine home games against Texas Tech. 

What you need to know about Texas Tech

Texas Tech has now won four of its last five games after getting the best of former head coach Chris Beard and No. 23 Texas on Tuesday night. The Red Raiders went on a 15-2 run early in the first half and never trailed again. Senior forward Bryson Williams leads the team with 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

It has been a balanced effort for the Red Raiders, as they have five players scoring in double figures this season. They come into this game ranked third in the Big 12, trailing only Kansas and Baylor. Texas Tech has covered the spread in five straight games and in nine of its last 10 overall. 

How to make Texas Tech vs. West Virginia picks

The model is leaning over on the total, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Texas Tech vs. West Virginia? And which side covers almost 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks.

The West Virginia Mountaineers (13-8, 2-7) welcome in the No. 14 Texas Tech Red Raiders (17-5, 6-3) Saturday afternoon inside the WVU Coliseum, with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 pm and broadcasting on ESPN.

Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 70, Texas Tech 68

It doesn't seem like Taz Sherman will be available to play in this game but they haven't officially ruled him out just yet. Aside from Taz's status, I think the Mountaineers will do something they've struggled to do all year - have a third player step up. Malik Curry and Jalen Bridges have shown they are capable of being the third guy in this offense but today they may have to assume a larger role. Kedrian Johnson is another guy to watch.

Six straight losses for WVU and with them officially on the outside looking in for the NCAA Tournament, they're going to have more motivation than they've had at any point this season. If Sherman doesn't play, everyone will have to elevate their game and with the home crowd behind you that's a litter easier to do. 

Texas Tech has been playing really good basketball of late and honestly, look like a true national title contender. That said, they are due for a hiccup. The Mountaineers pull one out and get back in the win column for the first time since January 11th.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 76 Texas Tech 72

West Virginia is still fighting for its first win in nearly a month but has continued to battle, even earning praise from head coach Bob Huggins in the last two losses. The Mountaineers have suffered from unfortunate breaks from officiating injuries and incredible performances from the opposition. Nonetheless, this Mountaineer squad remains optimistic, despite assurance leading scorer Taz Sherman will be available after being sidelined with a concussion late in the loss to Baylor on Monday. 

Texas Tech's best player Terrance Shannon Jr. has been slowed this year with a back injury. He missed multiple games in the middle of the season, and his third game back, he recorded a season-high 23 points against the Mountaineers. However, he is going through another back injury, missing the game last Saturday against Mississippi State and only registered six minutes on Tuesday versus Texas. 

Generally, I would pick against the Mountaineers until they hit the win column, but five of the losses during the winning streak have come against ranked opponents, and yes, one of the losses came to this same Texas Tech team, but I believe the Mountaineers will find a way to get it done. 

West Virginia held Texas Tech's leading scorer, forward Bryson Williams to 13 points. He averages 17.6 points per game in Big 12 play. Additionally, the team's second-leading scorer, guard Kevin McCullar (10.9 ppg), has never hit double figures against the Mountaineers. West Virginia had 17 turnovers in the first meeting to Texas Tech's nine. I do not believe they will turn the tables, but I think West Virginia closes the gap or maybe even gets on the positive side of the ratio. WVU snags this win, with or without Taz, 76-72.

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