Lamar Cardinals vs Texas Tech Red Raiders NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24
Looking to win big? The Cardinals and Red Raiders face off at 1:00 ET on ESPN+. The Red Raiders are hosting the game at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, TX. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 141.5 points, and Texas Tech is favored by -23.5 at home against Lamar.
LAMAR CARDINALS VS TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Lamar Cardinals +23.5
This game will be played at United Supermarkets Arena at 1:00 ET on Saturday, December 21st.
WHY BET THE LAMAR CARDINALS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 79-68 in favor of the Red Raiders.
- Even though we have Texas Tech winning straight-up, we like Lamar at +23.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 141.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Does Lamar Have What it Takes to Win as Road Underdogs?
Lamar Cardinals Recent Game/Games
The Cardinals improved to 4-5 on the season with a 69-65 road win over Southern Miss on Tuesday. Lamar entered the game as 2-point favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 134 fell just short of the 137.5 O/U line.
Lamar led 36-31 at halftime and scored 33 points in the 2nd half, allowing 34 points to Southern Miss.
Lamar’s offense put up 69 points in their last game, shooting 39.4% from the field and 31.8% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.5%, and they hit 66.7% of their free throws, going 10 for 15 from the line.
Neftali Alvarez led the way with 21 points and 7 assists, shooting 50% overall despite hitting just 1 of 6 from three. Alexis Marmolejos added 20 points, connecting on 3 of 7 from deep, while Cody Pennebaker hit 3 of 5 from three, finishing with 16 points on 60% shooting.
Despite giving up 15 offensive rebounds, Lamar held their opponent to 65 points on 42% shooting from the field. The Cardinals were particularly effective in defending the three-point line, where they limited their opponent to just 2 made threes on 13 attempts, a 15% success rate.
Inside the arc, Lamar’s opponent shot 50%, converting 22 of 44 two-point attempts. The Cardinals also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 25 times, where they made 15, shooting 60%.
Will Texas Tech Make it Happen at Home?
Texas Tech improved to 8-2 on the season with an 86-50 win over Oral Roberts on Monday. The Red Raiders, who were -27.5 point favorites, covered the spread in the victory.
Tech led 41-19 at halftime and added 45 points in the 2nd half while allowing 31. The total points for the game were 136, which was under the O/U line of 148.5.
Texas Tech put up 86 points in their last game, shooting 53.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 60.9%. They were dominant inside, hitting 68.6% of their two-point attempts, while connecting on 34.5% from beyond the arc.
The Red Raiders dished out 26 assists, with Federiko Federiko and Chance McMillian each contributing 5. Federiko also grabbed 12 rebounds and scored 23 points, shooting 11/13 from the field. McMillian added 20 points, hitting 3 of 4 from deep and shooting 88.9% overall.
Despite giving up 50 points, Texas Tech’s defense struggled, allowing the opponent to shoot 53% from the field. The Red Raiders couldn’t contain the two-point attack, with the other team hitting 68% of their shots inside the arc.
From three-point range, Texas Tech’s defense allowed 10 threes on 29 attempts, a 34% shooting rate. They also sent the opponent to the free-throw line 13 times, where they made 8, shooting 61%. The Red Raiders gave up 13 offensive rebounds.