With the NBA on its All-Star break, the basketball gods blessed us with an absolutely loaded college basketball Saturday slate of games.
Arguably, the best of the bunch may be a Big 12 battle when the #16 Texas Tech Red Raiders roll into McKale Memorial Center to take on the #1 Arizona Wildcats. Texas Tech vs. Arizona tips off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday from Tucson, AZ, live on ESPN.
Below, we’ll break down our Texas Tech vs. Arizona prediction and Saturday college basketball picks. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on player projections or game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Texas Tech vs. Arizona Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
It’s been a solid season for Texas Tech this year, sitting at 18-6 overall and 8-3 in conference play. They have, however, struggled away from home, going 3-3. The Red Raiders rank 10th in the nation in 3-point percentage (39.1%) and may need to be on the right side of 3-point variance if they hope to pull off the upset in Tucson tonight.
Arizona saw both their 23-game win streak and perfect record broken on the road in their last game, losing 78-82 to a Darryn Peterson-less Kansas squad. The atmosphere in Allen Fieldhouse for that game was out of this world, so the Wildcats very well could be glad to be back at home, where they've gone 13-0.
Only two games separate the top five teams in the Big 12, so every game is pivotal for conference positioning and NCAA Tournament seeding.
Texas Tech vs. Arizona Over/Under, Spread
The Wildcats enter Saturday’s game as 9.5-point home favorites, returning a 1.16x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Red Raiders are road underdogs with a 4.34x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Arizona Wildcats -9.5 (1.92x payout)
- Over/Under: 158.5 (1.96x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Red Raiders 4.34x | Wildcats 1.16x
Team Picks payouts are live as of writing and are subject to change.
Texas Tech vs. Arizona Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to know to help you make your Texas Tech vs. Arizona prediction on the spread on Saturday, February 14.
- Arizona is 14-9-1 (60.9%) against the spread (ATS), the third-best record in the Big 12.
- The Wildcats have a net rating differential of +11.04 over Texas Tech (36.83 vs. 25.79), according to KenPom.
- Texas Tech is just average on the road, going 3-3 straight-up and ATS.
- Arizona could have a massive edge on the glass, specifically offensive rebounding. They rank fourth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (39.5%).
Texas Tech vs. Arizona Picks for PrizePicks Today: Saturday, February 14
Here are two of the top Texas Tech vs. Arizona picks to target for Saturday, February 14, on PrizePicks. Player stat projections via PrizePicks are headlined by F Koa Peat and F JT Toppin.
Arizona F Koa Peat vs. Texas Tech Projection: 20.5 Pts + Rebs
- Peat is averaging 22.5 points, rebounds, and assists this season. At home, this number rises to 25.1.
- A large part of this jump is due to his improved efficiency from the field at home, where Peat is shooting 58% compared to 47.9% on the road. He also nets 1.9 more rebounds and 1.2 more assists in the confines of the McKale Memorial Center.
- Texas Tech’s defense has struggled in two facets that play right into Peat's hands. They rank 90th in the country in effective field goal percentage allowed (49.5%) and 93rd in defensive rebounding percentage (28.9%). There might be multiple offensive putbacks in Peat’s future.
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Texas Tech F JT Toppin vs. Arizona Projection: 32.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Arizona ranks second nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency (90.1), according to Bart Tovik.
- In addition to dominating the offensive boards, the Wildcats are 14th in defensive rebounding clip (25.7%).
- JT Toppin averages 1.9 fewer rebounds and .3 fewer assists per game on the road.
- The Wildcats' defense holds opponents to just 43.1% shooting from 2-point range, ranking third in that metric.
- This is especially important against Toppin, who shoots 14.8 shots from 2-point range compared to just two from 3-point range, where he's just a 28.3% shooter.
Make #16 Texas Tech vs. #1 Arizona Picks on PrizePicks
It’s a congested scene at the top of the Big 12 conference rankings, and today’s game could give us plenty of clarity on who the top dog really is. Texas Tech vs. Arizona picks for Big 12 ball are just one of many ways hoops fans can get in on the daily college basketball action.
You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 34 states.
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