The Houston Cougars take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Lubbock, Texas. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Houston is favored by 1.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -125. The total is set at 131 points.
Here are my Houston vs. Texas Tech predictions and college basketball picks for February 24, 2025.
Houston vs Texas Tech Prediction
My Pick: Texas Tech ML +115
My Houston vs Texas Tech best bet is on the Red Raiders moneyline, with the best odds currently available at BetMGM. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Houston vs Texas Tech Odds, Spread, Pick
| Houston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 131 -110 / -110 | -125 |
| Texas Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 131 -110 / -110 | +105 |
- Houston vs Texas Tech spread: Houston -1.5
- Houston vs Texas Tech over/under: 131 points
- Houston vs Texas Tech moneyline: Houston -125, Texas Tech +105
- Houston vs Texas Tech best bet: Texas Tech ML +115
My Houston vs Texas Tech College Basketball Betting Preview
The Houston Cougars will look to avenge their only conference loss, which took place against Texas Tech at home a month ago.
Texas Tech luckily avoided losing to West Virginia on Saturday. Otherwise, this Houston game would feel more important than it already is, since nobody wants to lose three games in a row in late February.
The Coogs are bound to lose another Big 12 game. They only beat Iowa State by nine, despite the Cyclones playing without star guards Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones. Plus, Houston shot 10-of-17 from 3 and still only won by single digits.
That result told me one thing: If a team can force Houston to turn it over — which the Cyclones did 17 times — then it's beatable. Scoring against Houston in the half-court is super tough, but it's more manageable off of turnovers.
That's brilliant news for the Red Raiders, as they force turnovers 18% of the time.
As always, the key to beating Houston is to not getting destroyed on the glass, which is easier said than done. However, Texas Tech already held its own on the glass in the first meeting, even after JT Toppin got ejected. Toppin playing in this game will make a huge difference.
The Red Raiders are one of the best teams at forcing teams to miss perimeter jumpers. Opponents score a measly 0.843 points per possession on spot-up jumpers, which puts them in the 91st percentile.
Pairing the success at limiting 3s with Texas Tech's 111th-ranked defensive rebounding rate gives it a solid formula to contain Houston's offense.
The Cougars can win without scoring much, but it would help if the trio of LJ Cryer, Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan provided some pop.
Cryer is the best scorer on Houston's roster at 15 points per game, but his 41% field goal percentage shows inconsistency. Sharp and Uzan each also shoot 40% from downtown.
As I mentioned earlier, Toppin is pivotal for Tech. He provides an inside scoring presence and is a nightly double-double threat.
The southpaw is Texas Tech's best forward, but Darrion Williams is its most important player. Williams serves as a starter on Tech's frontline next to Toppin and can run the offense, help push the pace and shoot.
The problem is Williams fouled out in the win over Houston, which might speak to his massive height disadvantage versus the Cougars' bigs. He must continue playing good defense without fouling J'Wan Roberts, JoJo Tugler or Ja'Vier Francis.
I also love Texas Tech's guard play. It gives the Red Raiders one of the country's scariest and most electric offenses, which will make for a fun battle against Houston's top-ranked defense.
Grant McCasland isn't known for his offensive coaching ethos, but this team is different. The Red Raiders attempt 3s on 42% of their field goal attempts and shoot 38% from downtown.
The most important piece of the backcourt is sharpshooter Chance McMillian. Of note, McMillian didn't play on Saturday versus West Virginia, but I'm guessing they played it safe with this big game two days later.
McMillian is shooting 45% from deep, and freshman Christian Anderson is a star, providing a strong 41% from downtown.
You can talk about the revenge angle, but I know one thing here: Playing in Lubbock is no easy task. The Red Raiders have lost just two home games this year — one to BYU and one to Iowa State, which Tech led for 95% of the game.
Lastly, the matchup is difficult, given Tech's countless offensive threats and Houston's inability to play in a track meet.
