The top-ranked and top-seeded Houston Cougars (29-3) will try to book their spot in the 2024 Big 12 Tournament title game when they face the No. 4 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders in Friday's semifinals. Houston won nine straight games down the stretch to claim the Big 12 regular-season title, including a 76-46 win over then-No. 14 Kansas in its finale. The Cougars extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 60-45 win over No. 8 seed TCU in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Texas Tech is riding a four-game winning streak, beating No. 5 seed BYU in an 81-67 final in the quarterfinals.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on Friday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Houston is favored by 8.5 points in the latest Houston vs. Texas Tech odds, while the over/under is 131.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Texas Tech vs. Houston picks, you'll want to see the NCAA Basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters 2024 conference championship week on a 145-104 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 28-18 (+820) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Texas Tech vs. Houston. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the game:
- Houston vs. Texas Tech spread: Houston -8.5
- Houston vs. Texas Tech over/under: 131.5 points
- Houston vs. Texas Tech money line: Houston -410, Texas Tech +316
- Houston vs. Texas Tech picks: See picks here
Why Houston can cover
Houston still has plenty to play for this weekend, as it is fighting for the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars won nine consecutive games to close the regular season, picking up three wins over top-15 teams during that stretch. They maintained their momentum with a 60-45 win over TCU on Thursday, racing out to a 16-0 lead in the first eight minutes of the game.
Sophomore guard Emanuel Sharp had 14 points and four rebounds, while Big 12 Player of the Year Jamal Shead had 12 points and five assists. The Cougars held TCU to just 23.3% shooting from the floor, and they crushed Texas Tech in the lone meeting between these teams during the regular season. They have covered the spread in four of their last five games against the Red Raiders.
Why Texas Tech can cover
Texas Tech closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak, beating West Virginia, Oklahoma State and then-No. 11 Baylor by double digits. The Red Raiders were 3-point favorites in their 78-68 win over the Bears, as sophomore guard Pop Isaacs scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists. Sophomore guard Darrion Williams posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 6 of 7 from the floor.
They jumped out to a 14-2 lead against BYU on Thursday and led by 19 points at halftime before cruising to an 81-67 win. Isaacs scored 22 points, while four of his teammates finished in double figures as well. Texas Tech has covered the spread in four of its last five games, and it is unbeaten in its last seven Friday games. See which team to pick here.
How to make Houston vs. Texas Tech picks
The model has simulated Texas Tech vs. Houston 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Houston vs. Texas Tech, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 145-104 roll on its top-ranked college basketball picks, and find out.
