Texas Tech vs. Tennessee Prediction: Underdog Red Raiders the Smart Play
Texas Tech vs. Tennessee Prediction: Underdog Red Raiders the Smart Play
Tonight, on ESPN, the Texas Red Raiders will take on the Tennessee Volunteers in Madison Square Garden for the Jimmy V Classic.
Texas Tech is coming off a road loss to Providence, 72-68 and really didn’t play much competition before that Providence game this season. The Red Raiders won games they were supposed to but don’t have a single top 100 win on their resume this season.
Meanwhile, Tennessee is also 6-1 on the year but that one loss came against Villanova on a neutral court. The Volunteers have wins against North Carolina and Colorado, each by 15 or more points.
Is Texas Tech ready for games against high-end opponents? Here are our picks and predictions for the Texas Tech vs Tennessee basketball game for Tuesday, December 7.
Texas Tech vs Tennessee Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
Date: Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where To Watch: ESPN
Texas Tech vs. Tennessee INJURY REPORT
Texas Tech
No Injuries Reported
Tennessee
No Injuries Reported
Texas Tech vs Tennessee Prediction
Texas Tech is coming off a loss against Providence, 72-68. It was the Red Raiders’ first true road game of the season and Texas Tech simply lost control of the game after coming out hot to start.
I’d like to think tonight’s game will be a bit different against Tennessee. Texas Tech has been tremendous on both sides of the ball this year, despite playing bad competition.
The Red Raiders are shooting an effective field goal percentage of 56 percent while earning 49.2 percent offensive rebounds. Again, who knows if this number is sustainable against teams like Tennessee, but regardless, 49.2 percent of offensive rebounds leads the nation at this very moment.
Texas Tech is also getting to the line at a high rate and hitting 37.3 percent of shots from downtown while knocking in 56 percent from inside the arc.
While Tennessee is one of the best defenses in the nation, they’ve struggled a bit with keeping teams off the glass on the defensive end. Opponents are also shooting 34.7 percent from long range against the Vols this season.
There’s room for Texas Tech to have success offensively against Tennessee.
Meanwhile, Tennessee is shooting an effective field goal percentage of 54.6 percent and rarely turns the ball over at 16.5 percent. The Red Raiders are forcing turnovers at 27.8 percent this season and could shock Tennessee, but again, we still have to remember that Texas Tech hasn’t faced teams like Tennessee at all this season.
The Vols are really struggling at getting to the line and while they’ve been solid on the glass, Texas Tech has simply been better. They’re also not defending the three all that well, allowing teams to shoot 35.3 percent from long range.
I like Texas Tech to win the glass, shoot a higher percentage and get to the line more while also forcing more turnovers on the defensive end. So I’ll take the underdog here at +4.
Texas Tech vs Tennessee Pick
- PICK: Texas Tech +4 (-110)
Jason grew up an avid sports fan. His passion for sports writing grew in high school and he developed a blog that was strictly for New York Sports. From his work, you will quickly realize that he loves looking at games from an analytical and numbers perspective and hopes to provide you with that same perspective in his articles.